Seeking the Truth
by Been Reading
Summary: COMPLETED Why is the worst part of Ginny's first job after graduation the fact that she has to work with Harry? Ginny struggles to overcome the effects of the war while discovering that there's always more to Harry than meets the eye. HPGW
1. Prologue

A/N I'm back with my new story, as promised!  I do have a couple of warnings for you before you get started reading... First, this is a Harry/Ginny story, but if you don't have patience you might not enjoy it.  Second, this story does not take place in a happy world for our favorite characters.  Third, I had to kill off a lot of people to make this work, and I'm not going to come right out and tell you who for awhile.  Fourth, this story has nothing to do with my previous two stories.  And finally, fifith, if original characters really annoy you, this may not be the story for you.  A lot of this story revolves around a Quidditch team, and all of the team is new.  These characters are important to Harry and Ginny's story, but they're not the focus.

Disclaimer:  I don't own anything in the Harry Potter Universe, I'm just playing with it for awhile.

* * *

Day After Voldemort's Fall

_Ron's voice went from being loud and full of hurt to quiet and cold. "You've ruined my life. I hate you. If you ever come near me or my family again, I'll kill you with my bare hands."_

_

* * *

_

One Year Later

Dear Ginny,

I was so happy to receive your letter. I miss talking to you every day, but I guess that is just as much my fault as it is yours. Work has been keeping me busy, but I love my job. I've been attending as many games as possible, strictly on work related business of course. (Although between you and me, I was cheering my arse off when the Cannons beat the Wasps.)

In regards to your letter, I don't think poorly of you for not wanting to live at the Burrow after graduation. Merlin knows I'm not really enjoying it, but I can't seem to bring myself to leave just yet. I'm thinking about getting a flat with one of the beaters from the Cannons, Jeffrey Collins, before next season. He's a good bloke and we've gotten to be good friends this year. He's one of the beaters still in the running for the national team. I'm telling you, they're going all out this year for the World Cup. I think they want to prove that things will be better than they were before the war. They've had all of the people in the running at an extensive training camp for the last two weeks. The final announcement will be made at a big banquet right after your graduation, and then they're moving all of the team members into a big manor with its own Quidditch pitch so they can practice all of the time and bond as a team. If I were a betting man I'd put money on Jeff making the team. It's too bad that with my inside connections I can't bet on Quidditch anymore.

Sorry, I was rambling, but this is where my good news comes in. You're incredibly lucky to have me in the department. My boss, Mr. Perry, came storming into my office the other day, complaining about the terrible work ethic of the Manager Overseeing Team members (or Mom as the guys affectionately call her). The next day she got into a fight with Coach Mason and quit. Needless to say, Mr. Perry was completely stressed out. That is, until I told him I had a sister who was looking for a job. He was concerned about your age, but I assured him you never had any problem keeping your older brothers in line. That, coupled with the fact that you were made Head Girl, was enough for him. I'm not going to lie, this isn't a glamorous job; it's a lot of work and very little glory. You'd be in charge of making sure the team was at the right place, at the right time, saying the right things. You'd also be in charge of settling any team disputes, and making sure the team always has everything they need. Despite all that, it pays well and it'd get you away from the house.

There's one other thing I'm not sure you'd like about the job. He's in the running to make the team. Personally, I think the Pride's seeker is better, but Jeff tells me it looks like He's going to make it. I bet it's just a publicity stunt. Imagine, putting an under qualified player on the national team because he's a 'hero.' It's enough to make me cheer for Ireland or Scotland instead. Don't tell Mr. Perry I said that though; he seems to think He's the best thing to happen to Quidditch in a long time. Sorry, I'm rambling again. The point is, the job is yours if you want it.

I hope your N.E.W.T.s are going well. I'm sure you'll do better than I did; I was a little distracted around this time last year. Speaking of which, I guess I'll be seeing you at the memorial. Don't waste your time trying to get out of it, I already did. Dad said he didn't care how much I didn't want to see Them, I owed it to everyone to be there. It really doesn't feel like it's been a year already. It feels like yesterday.

Love from your favorite brother,

Ron

PS If you do accept the job, you'll have to start working right after graduation. You'll have to attend the banquet where they're announcing the team. Jeff says he'd love to take you as his date.

Ginny set down the letter from her brother and sighed. If you had asked her a year ago, spending time with Harry would have been a job perk instead of a reason not to take a job. But so much had changed. She would always remember what was left of her family gathered in an empty classroom after Voldemort had been defeated, her father urging Ron to make things right with Harry. Ron had reluctantly agreed, only to return a while later furious. His tone had scared Ginny, and his words were etched in her mind forever. "Harry Potter is not welcome in my presence, EVER." The rest of her family wasn't exactly sure what had happened, but they could tell that Ron was serious. And just like that, Harry wasn't a part of their family anymore.

Since then, Ron had made a lifestyle of avoiding Harry. Instead of going into Auror training like everyone had expected Ron and Harry to do together, Ron took a job in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. He loved the job, until he found out that Harry had also forgone Auror training to play Quidditch. Ginny had long ago lost track of the number of work functions Ron had skipped out on avoid being in the same room as Harry. Ron never offered an explanation of his actions to his family, but Ginny knew enough. She didn't know what the final words were spoken between Ron and Harry, but she knew what had started the fight. When the press reported that Harry and Hermione had moved in together, the rest of the family caught on to what had happened.

But this wasn't about Ron, Harry, and Hermione. It was about a job; a great job she'd love to take. Sure Harry Potter had broken her heart, but she had been foolish to believe he had ever been interested in her. The question was: could she face him after all this time? Could she work with him? Could she pass up the job? It wasn't even a guarantee he'd make the national team. Ginny made up her mind right then and there; she wasn't going to let him dictate what she did and did not do, like Ron. In fact, she liked the thought of spending enough time with him to give him a piece of her mind. She'd love to tell him off for what he did to Ron. Hell, she'd love to tell him off for what he was doing to Hermione. Ginny pulled out a clean sheet of parchment, her favorite quill, and a bottle of violet ink.

Dear Ron,

Thank you so much! You've saved me, at least until after the World Cup. I graciously accept the job offer. As for your concerns; to hell with Harry Potter! I will not pass up this opportunity because he's a git. I can handle him, don't you worry.

As for the memorial, I'm ashamed of you! How could you be so selfish as to not want to go, solely because you're too chicken to face Them. You need to pay your respects, Ron. You don't have to stay long, but come by and let your presence be known. You should stop letting Them dictate how you live your life. Move on, They obviously have. I love you and I'll see you soon.

Love always,

Ginny

PS Tell Jeffrey I'd love to be his date.

* * *

A week later, Ron slowly walked through the town of Hogsmeade remembering the attack that started the end of the war, and the end of his relationship with Hermione. He felt his heart break all over again every time he thought about it. He had been too busy planning a romantic date for their one year anniversary to notice the love of his life slipping through his fingers and into the arms of his best mate. Make that former best mate. When he was honest with himself he could see how it happened; he didn't know why they had bothered to deny it. Their denial only infuriated him more, although not as much as the many articles in _Witch Weekly _highlighting their romance. He couldn't seem to stop reading the articles though; he knew all about the flat they shared, their romantic dinners for two, their appearances at Ministry functions, Harry's nights out with other women... It all made him physically sick. 

Ron knew he had said some things to Harry he didn't mean in the heat of the moment; he was hurt, he didn't know what he was saying. It was too late to take it back though; too much had happened now. Their relationship was beyond repair, especially with how Harry was treating Hermione.

Ron had reacted the only way he knew how; he made space. He cut himself off from his two best friends, and unintentionally, his family. He found himself starting over at the ministry on his own, with people who knew nothing about his family and his past friendship with Harry Potter. He was polite and people liked him, but he was scared to let them get too close; he was scared of getting hurt again.

Ron shook his head as if he were trying to shake out all of the bad memories. He looked up and realized he was at the gates of Hogwarts. Gathering all of his strength, he strode onto the grounds where so many had lost their lives.

"Ron!" a familiar voice cried. Ron turned around just in time to catch his sister who had flung herself into his arms, sobbing.

"Shh," Ron said soothingly. "It will be okay."

"I just miss them so much," Ginny said through her sobs. She pulled back and wiped her eyes. "With everyone inside, it was getting to be too much. I had to come outside to be alone."

"Has it started? Am I late?" Ron asked, panicked.

"No. The family's inside, but they're not even sitting together. Dad was so sad; I think everyone was avoiding him. How did we end up like this? I want to be strong for everyone, but I don't think I can be."

"You don't have to be strong anymore; let me be strong for you." Ron slid his arm over her shoulders and led her back to the castle. They walked together into the Great Hall where the memorial service was to be held.

"Ron," Mr. Weasley said, his voice shaking. "I'm glad you're here."

"_As if I had much choice,"_ Ron thought bitterly. He simply nodded his head and gave his father a hug. He took the seat in between his father and Ginny, keeping a tight grip on Ginny's hand for support. He kept his focus towards the empty stage at the front of the room, not wanting to be drawn into conversation with anyone.

A hush fell over the whispering crowd and Ron noticed everyone turning their attention towards the back of the room. Fighting his better instincts, he turned around to see what everyone was looking at. Immediately, he regretted the decision. Headmistress McGonagall walked into the room followed by Harry, whose hand was clasped tightly with Hermione's. Ron had to use every muscle in his body to resist his urges to go wipe the tears from her face. _"That's not my job anymore. The slimy git doesn't even know what he has," _Ron thought sourly. He could tell that Harry was using the same 'keep your focus in front of you' tactic he had been using earlier. Ron watched as Harry gave Hermione a tight hug before leaving her to go onto the stage with McGonagall.

"Welcome, students, alumni, guests," McGonagall began somberly. "Today marks the one year anniversary of the day Voldemort was destroyed. At this time, please join me in welcoming Harry Potter to the stage." A polite applause echoed through the room.

Harry walked uncomfortably to the front to the stage. "Um, hello," he began awkwardly. "It's been so long since I've seen so many of you, but it feels like we were all here fighting together yesterday. The ministry wanted to throw a big party to celebrate the fall of Voldemort, but I refused to take any part in it. Those of you who were there with me during that final battle know it was nothing to be celebrated. So much was lost; so many people gave their lives for our cause. That's why we're here today: to remember and honor those who gave everything they had to help defeat Voldemort, in both wars. Without them I could have never succeeded. If I could have traded my own life for any of theirs, I would have gladly, but that was not what fate intended. So please, on this day, remember those who were lost, and live your lives in honor of their memories."

Ron watched as Harry walked off of the stage, gathered a sobbing Hermione, and exited the Great Hall. Several more people spoke, but it was all a blur to Ron. His body was in the room, but his mind was back at the battle. He vaguely remembered comforting Ginny as she lost control. Despite all of his pain, he couldn't bring himself to cry; he couldn't bring himself to release all of the emotions he had been holding in for so long.

When the ceremony was over, Ron said his goodbyes to his family and fled the premises. He hurried to the Three Broomsticks so he could floo back to the ministry and get back to work. He had worked too hard to create a new life, separate from all of the old memories, to let himself fall back into his old life.

* * *

A/N As always, please let me know what you think.  It really is the reviews that keep me writing when I hit dry spells.  I'm going to try and update once or twice a week.  I could update faster, but I'm trying to make sure I take things nice and slow this time around so I don't get overwhelmed or make silly mistakes.  I hope you enjoyed!


	2. Meeting the Team

"Hey, Ginny," Ron said as he poked his head into her bedroom at the Burrow. "You look beautiful. Are you ready for your first official night on the job?"

"Yep. It's a little nerve wracking though, doing something public before I've ever even met my boss or stepped foot in my office."

Ron chuckled. "Don't worry; Mr. Perry is a great guy. Coach Mason is a little rough around the edges, but as long as you're willing to play by his rules, he won't bother you. The guys, whether they make the team or not, will give you a hard time. They'll probably flirt, tease, and put you through some kind of initiation, but it won't be anything you can't handle."

Ginny looked at Ron suspiciously. "Why are you talking like you're not going to be there?"

"Because I'm not. Tell Jeff that I wasn't feeling well, and I'll make my excuses with Mr. Perry tomorrow," Ron replied with a shrug. "You're supposed to meet Jeff outside the banquet hall."

"That's a little rude," Ginny said.

"Well, he thought I was coming with you, and I really didn't want him at the Burrow," Ron explained. "You'll be fine; they set up an apparition point right outside the hall."

"That's not the point. You should be going, Ron."

Ron sighed. "It still just hurts too much."

"You'll have to face them eventually," Ginny said.

"But not tonight."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I need to go; I'm going to be late."

"Behave and have fun."

Ginny gave her appearance a final look over and apparated to the banquet hall. She looked around nervously for a person she thought could be Jeff.

"With that hair, you have got to be related to Ron," a booming voice called. Ginny turned around grinning to see a huge blonde man, probably at least a foot taller than herself with forearms as big as her thighs. He smiled happily, but Ginny had to repress a laugh at the thought that he looked like he'd taken a bludger to his nose.

"Jeff?" she asked hopefully.

"One in the same," he answered happily. "Where's Ron?"

"He says he's sick," Ginny answered truthfully.

"You know, he hates these things more than anyone else I've ever met," Jeff said with a chuckle.

"You could say that," Ginny mumbled.

"I think I've figured him out though; I think he just doesn't like coming without a date," Jeff said thoughtfully.

"Something like that," Ginny answered, realizing for the first time how little Ron's friends knew about him.

"You know what's funny," Jeff said as he extended his arm to Ginny. "Before Ron told me you were being offered this job, I didn't even know he had a sister."

Ginny smiled politely and took Jeff's arm. "There are a lot of things you don't know about Ron." Jeff shook his head and led Ginny into the building.

When they entered the banquet hall, Ginny wasn't sure what she was supposed to do, but Jeff confidently walked over to a crowd of men, most about as big as himself.

"Jeffrey! Have you been holding out on us?" another blonde man asked with a huge grin. "Who is this pretty little thing?"

Jeff laughed. "Well, Tank, if you're lucky enough to make the team, she's your new Mom."

If it was possible, Tank's grin grew. "Well, since we all know I'll make the team, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Taylor Thompkins, but everyone calls me Tank."

"Ginny," she said as she extended her hand. "What position do you play?"

"You mean you don't know I'm the best keeper in the league?" Tank asked in mock horror. "Please don't tell me they sent us another one who doesn't even follow the game!"

"At least this one's cute," another man with light brown hair piped up.

"I play the game, thank you very much. I mean, I used to play," Ginny corrected herself.

"The name's Jacob, by the way," the man with light brown hair said. "What position did you play?"

"I spent a year at seeker and two at chaser," Ginny informed him.

"Before this conversation goes any farther, let me introduce everyone. This is Tank, Jake, Steven, Caleb, and Dustin," Jeff interrupted.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Ginny said, nodding around the friendly circle.

"Oh, I think the pleasure is all ours, Miss," Steven said sweetly.

"Thank you," Ginny replied, trying hard not to blush. "So fill me in; do you guys have a pretty good idea who's going to make the team?"

"Well, Tank is a sure thing, not only to make the team but to make captain," Jeff said immediately.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, but if I'm a sure thing, you are, too," Tank replied.

"Well, who am I to deny the great team Wes and I make," Jeff said smugly.

Tank rolled his eyes. "It's the chasers where things get a little fuzzy. There are five who are really good and they all work together really well interchangeably," Tank informed her.

"I'm not going to make it," Steven said with a groan. "Dustin played much better than I did the last couple of work outs, and we have a very similar style."

"Cheer up, mate. At least you'll make the reserves," Tank comforted him. It wasn't hard for Ginny to see why Jeff thought Tank would make captain. It was obvious everyone respected him.

"Easy for you to say; you know you made it," Steven said stubbornly.

"So, what about you two?" Ginny asked, turning her attention to Caleb and Jake.

"Well, Jacob is as close to a sure thing as any of the chasers," Caleb began, "but I'm pretty much just trying out for the reserves."

"Why?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Because I'm a seeker," Caleb said as if it explained everything.

Ginny still looked confused so Jeff spoke up. "I thought everyone knew that the great Harry Potter was a shoo in for the team. Although, if I acted like he did I know I wouldn't even be considered for the team."

"So he is only making it because of who he is," Ginny said.

"So you follow Ron's theories on Harry Potter," Jeff said with a chuckle.

"Potter is making the team because he's never missed a snitch," Tank said slowly. "Jeff here was just talking about his personality. Potter's an okay bloke, but he keeps to himself. He doesn't buy into the whole team bonding thing. That kind of attitude wouldn't work with anything but a seeker."

"Oh," Ginny said, trying to digest all of the information. "You know, he did miss a snitch once."

"He did not!" Jake exclaimed, causing all of the other guys to laugh. "Sorry, but I'm a bit of a fan, I would know."

"Well then, you should know that in his third year at Hogwarts he missed the snitch against Hufflepuff. Dementors came out on the pitch; Harry passed out and fell off his broom. The other seeker caught the snitch before he even knew what had happened to Harry."

"Wow," Jake said in awe.

"Well boys, it appears we have another one with a bit of a celebrity obsession," Tank said, causing Ginny to cock an eyebrow at him. "That gives me an idea for your initiation."

"Bring it on."

"Well, since I don't think Potter even knows my name, you have to make sure he knows yours before the meeting after they announce the team," Tank informed her.

"Is that it?" Ginny asked, laughing.

"I wouldn't be so confident. I'll be surprised if you can even find him before the meeting," Caleb told her.

"Yeah, it's the same thing every time we have one of these things," Steven added. "We all see him show up, but then he disappears until the important stuff."

"It won't be a problem," Ginny said confidently.

"Well, Miss Confident, would you like to meet our better halves?" Tank asked.

"You're all married?"

"Well, Jake, Dustin, and I are," Tank said. "Got kids too. Our wives are right over there." Ginny took Tank's arm and walked over to where three women were standing talking.

"Marissa, Chloe, Violet, this is Ginny, our new team Mom," Tank said.

"Pleased to meet you," Chloe said, wrapping her arm around Jacob.

"If my husband gives you a hard time, just threaten to take away his desert. That's Tank's weakness," Marissa told her.

Ginny laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Aren't you a little young?" Violet asked.

"I'm old enough," Ginny replied defensively. "I had some pretty good experience dealing with rowdy boys growing up."

"Chloe, you'll love this; she's a bigger boy who lived nut than Jake," Caleb said, lightening the mood.

"I never said that," Ginny protested.

"It's so obvious," Jeff teased.

"If you don't stop right now..." Ginny warned.

"Oh look, they're going to make the announcement!" Chloe exclaimed.

Ginny turned her attention to the stage and felt a small tap on her shoulder. "Excuse me, Miss. Mr. Perry wants you in the conference room." Ginny nodded and followed the man through a side door. They walked into a room that held a long table with chairs all around it. "Have a seat; the team will be joining you shortly." Ginny sat down at one of the chairs and waited patiently. She felt butterflies in her stomach; she would soon be starting her first job as an adult. She smiled when she heard applause and cheering coming from the next room. A few minutes later the door burst open. Tank and Jacob walked in laughing with a man Ginny didn't recognize. The man looked at her and his face broke out into a huge smile.

"I know you! You're the wee Weasley! I haven't seen you since you were about seven and you came with your mum to watch Charlie play!" the man exclaimed.

Ginny frowned at being called the wee Weasley. "It's Ginny."

"Why didn't you tell us you were a Weasley? Fred and George are great!" Jacob said enthusiastically.

"Well they're not that great. I've been trying to get my cousin to break up with your git of a brother for a year!" the man cried laughing. "I'm MJ, the J being for Johnson."

"As in Angelina's cousin?" Ginny asked, now smiling. "She really is too good for Fred." Jeff walked in talking to another man Ginny didn't recognize.

"Oy, Jeff!" Tank called as Jeff walked in with two more men Ginny didn't recognize. "Why didn't you tell us your date was a Weasley?"

Jeff looked confused. "You guys know Ron?"

"Who's Ron?" Jacob asked.

"Ginny here is related to our favorite set of pranksters," Tank explained.

"Those twins with the joke shop?" Jeff asked.

"Yeah, they're Ginny's older brothers," Jacob said. "Now, who's Ron?"

Ginny shook her head and walked over to the men she hadn't been introduced to. "Hi, I'm Ginny."

"Wesley," the first man replied, obviously a little confused as to what was going on.

"Dustin," the other said.

"Good. Now that I know everyone, can I clear up a few things?" Ginny asked loudly. The room quieted and everyone's heads snapped in her direction. "I had six older brothers. Bill was the oldest, he died in the war, then Charlie, who apparently played Quidditch with MJ at Hogwarts."

"We were in the same class," MJ offered helpfully.

"Then there was Percy, but he also died during the war," Ginny continued. "And then the twins, Fred and George who you all obviously know, and then Ron who works for Mr. Perry, and then me."

"Ron never mentioned he had such a large family," Jeff said quietly.

"Well, Ron doesn't mention a lot of things these days," Ginny replied with a sigh. The room had filled with uncomfortable silence when the door opened again. Ginny couldn't help but gasp when she saw Harry walk in with the man she knew to be Coach Mason.

Harry's head immediately turned in her direction. "Ginny?" he asked in disbelief.

"Hello, Harry," she replied coolly.

"I think Miss Weasley has been holding out on us," Tank said below his breath.

"She's a sneaky one," Jeff added.

Ginny turned around and grinned. "You never asked if I already knew him. It's your own fault for being too dense to realize we probably went to school together." Harry looked at her questioningly, but before he could speak, Mr. Perry walked into the room.

"Good, you've all met Miss Weasley. You will all show her the respect you failed to show her predecessor." Everyone nodded in agreement. "Now, let's get down to business. You will have the rest of the weekend off, and you will then report to the manor. You need to bring enough stuff with you for at least two weeks. Miss Weasley will arrange with you a schedule for your first break around that time period. This is a huge commitment; I want to bring the World Cup back to England. We have less than two months before our first match, and we need to be in tip top shape if we want to be dominant!" Mr. Perry smiled proudly at the team before him. "We're keeping you in the house to eliminate distractions. I know some of you have families, but I assure you we'll make sure you get to see them, and if all goes well, you'll return to them a member of the World Cup Championship team! Now, let's all head back out, celebrate and enjoy our dinner. I'll see you all in two days." Mr. Perry stood up from the table and led Coach Mason into another room.

Ginny knew Harry was staring at her, but she ignored him and left the conference room on Jeff's arm. He led her to a table with Tank, Marissa, Jacob and Chloe. Jeff pulled out her chair and Ginny sat down.

"So how close were you and Potter?" Tank asked, not wasting a minute with pleasantries.

"Well, he's only a year older than me and we were both Gryffindors. He and Ron were the same age and were best mates for a while," Ginny explained.

"Funny, Ron never mentioned that," Jeff said dryly.

"He wouldn't, notice I said were, not are. But before you ask I don't really want to get into it," Ginny responded.

"So when did you play seeker if you played with Harry?" Jacob asked, changing the subject.

"During Harry's fifth year, when he had a lifetime ban from Quidditch," Ginny replied, already becoming annoyed with the interrogation.

"I had forgotten about that!" Jacob exclaimed.

Chloe rolled her eyes at her husband. "You can deny it, but I can tell there's something between you. A woman knows."

Tank eyed Ginny nervously. "Is she right? Because if there's some kind of awkwardness between the two of you, you either need to settle it or quit. Not to be mean, but we need a stress free team if we want to win."

"There won't be problems between Harry and me; his problems are with my brother. We do have a history, but it's because he saved my life when I was 11."

"Oh," Chloe replied lamely. They ate the rest of their dinner with mild conversation, no one having the nerve to question Ginny any farther.

* * *

Later that night Ginny and a quiet Jeff were walking back to the Apparation point. When they reached it Jeff looked at Ginny awkwardly.

"Why do I feel like there's so much more to this story than you're telling us?" he asked quietly.

"Because there is," Ginny replied.

"Can you tell me about it?" Jeff asked.

Ginny looked at him and considered her options before answering him. "I'll make you a deal: I'll tell you some about my past if you'll tell me about Harry now."

"Deal," Jeff replied. "Do you want to go somewhere to talk?"

"Why don't we just go for a walk," Ginny suggested. Jeff nodded and they began to walk down the street in awkward silence.

"So, what do you want to know about Potter?" Jeff asked after a few minutes.

"I don't know, anything, everything," Ginny said.

"Well, I don't know all that much about the guy other than what I read in the papers. He really just keeps to himself most of the time; it's like he doesn't trust us. You know he and Wes both played for Magpies, so Wes knows him better than anyone else. Wes was telling me that he's almost always either by himself or with some random girl. Its funny how there's no in between with him."

"So he's always with random girls? What about his girlfriend?" Ginny asked incredulously.

Jeff looked at her in confusion. "I know there have been reports of a girlfriend, but I've never met one. Okay, my turn to get some information. Why does Ron hate him?"

Ginny sighed. "Well, they were best friends all through school. Harry really was a part of our family; he'd come stay with us during the summer and holidays, my parents loved him, and I wasn't lying when I said he saved my life. Around his and Ron's seventh year, things started to change. A rift started to form between Harry and Ron; Harry was pulling away, preparing to battle with Voldemort, and Ron finally woke up and asked out the girl of his dreams. Without getting into too many details, they had a big fight after Harry had defeated Voldemort over the girl I mentioned. Harry left with her and Ron hasn't been the same since."

"So Ron had the audacity to fight with the guy who had just saved all of our lives?" Jeff asked.

"While he was still in the hospital, too," Ginny added. "No one knows exactly what was said other than the three of them, but I have a feeling it was ugly. In Ron's defense though, he had just lost his girlfriend and a big piece of his family; he was emotionally spent."

They continued to walk in silence for a bit longer before Jeff spoke up again. "So anything else you want to know about Potter?"

Ginny thought about it for a moment. "Is he happy?" she asked quietly.

"He looks happy when he's flying," Jeff said thoughtfully. "Other than that he looks really lonely. I mean there are those girls Wes talked about, but I haven't ever seen him with anyone. He always comes to the banquets alone, and he never stays long. I mean, for someone who is admired and loved by most of the wizarding world, he looks fairly miserable."

"Oh," Ginny replied. "Well, I guess I should get going home; I don't want Ron to get worried that his friend is taking advantage of his baby sister."

"Well, then good night I guess," Jeff said.

"I'll see you in a couple days."

* * *

A/N Thanks so much for your reviews! It really is great to get feedback on your work. I wasn't planning on updating today, but since the prologue was shorter than the rest of the chapters I figured I'd go ahead. I hope you liked all of the OCs, because they will be a part of this story. As for what happened in the war, well you'll just have to wait and see. In the next chapter you'll get your first real piece of the puzzle though. I've had four tests this week (two more to go) so I haven't had much writing time. The good news is though that the first six chapters are already written, so it's just a matter of getting my final approval! Thanks again for your reviews!


	3. Moving In

_Last Hogsmeade trip of the year_

_Ginny Weasley couldn't believe her luck. She was going to Hogsmeade with Harry Potter. The Harry Potter, the object of her affection since she was ten. When he had nervously suggested they go together since Ron and Hermione were going on their own, (it was their one year anniversary) she had nearly passed out in shock. And now the day was here. Ginny's stomach was tied in knots. She gave her appearance a final look over in the mirror before running down the stairs to the common room. When she reached the bottom step she had to grip the stair rail to keep from falling down. Harry was standing there waiting for her with his hands awkwardly in his pockets. Their eyes met, and Ginny felt in her heart that he had wanted to ask her out, regardless of what Ron and Hermione were doing._

"_Hi," Ginny said softly, afraid her voice would fail her._

"_Hey," Harry replied, his own voice sounding just as weak. "Are you ready?"_

"_Yeah," Ginny said. She nearly fainted again when Harry extended his hand and took hers. She knew she was blushing the entire walk from the castle to Hogsmeade._

"_So, where do you want to go?" Harry asked._

"_I don't care," Ginny answered shyly._

"_Honeydukes?"_

"_That sounds good," Ginny said with a smile. Harry led her into the store and they walked together down the rows of sweets. Harry showed Ginny what his favorites were, and she insisted that he try her favorites. They left the store after Harry had bought both of them a large bag of sweets._

"_Three Broomsticks?" Harry asked, nodding towards the pub._

"_Sure." They walked in and picked out a small table. Harry went up to the bar and bought two butterbeers. He brought them back to the table and sat down. He and Ginny sat together in awkward silence, sipping on their drinks._

"_I've had a good time with you today," Harry said while he examined his hands._

"_Me too," Ginny said. Ginny suddenly felt the urge to lighten the mood. "So, have you thought about what you're going to do after graduation?"_

_Harry let out a bitter laugh. "Well, if I live through graduation, I'll go into training to become an Auror. It's what everyone expects me to do."_

"_Don't talk like that, Harry," Ginny scolded him. "Of course you'll live through graduation, and you don't have to become an Auror unless you want to!"_

"_Of course I want to! I want to get all of the dark wizards off the street!" Harry said forcefully._

"_Calm down, Harry. I was just saying that you should do what makes you happy!" Ginny said defensively._

"_Great, so you think I should go off and be happy while people are dying? I have a job to do; I thought you of all people would understand that!"_

"_Harry James Potter don't you dare yell at me!" Ginny hissed. She stood up from the table. "If you can't just enjoy a pleasant day with me then I'm just going to go back to the castle!"_

"_Ginny, wait!" Harry called frantically, but she was already half way to the door. She was stopped, however, when Hannah Abbot rushed into the pub, her robes covered in blood._

"_Death Eaters!" Hannah gasped before passing out._

_Harry jumped from his seat and grabbed Ginny by the shoulders. "Stay put!" he insisted before running out into the street. Ginny watched the scene unfold before her in horror; she knew she would never be able to forget the image of her fellow students battling with Death Eaters. Unfortunately, it was a losing battle for most of the students; they were being tortured and killed. Ginny watched Harry spring into action, taking down as many Death Eaters as his spells could reach. Ginny was trying to keep count of how many lives he saved, to help his guilt complex later when he started thinking of how many had lost their lives, when it happened. Harry was busy stunning a Death Eater that was holding a third year under the cruciatus when he was hit from behind with a stunner. Forgetting Harry's order for her to stay put, Ginny ran out into the street and took the job of protecting Harry's fallen bodywhile shewaited for the Aurors to arrive._

_After what felt like an eternity, the battle was over and the Death Eaters were gone. Both sides had suffered casualties, but the biggest loss was in the students. Ginny had somehow managed to escape without much more than a scratch. After she was assured that he would be okay, Ginny watched helplessly as Harry's body was taken away and prayed that the rest of her family had survived the battle._

_

* * *

_

Ginny sat nervously at her new desk in her new office. Ron had arrived at the Ministry with her that morning, laughing that it would probably be the last time she would actually use her office. She had stacks of folders waiting for her, and she was slowly working her way through them. The first folder contained a picture of the manor they would be staying in. There was a small cottage on the back corner of the property, and she assumed that was where she would be living. The house was beautiful; it looked more like a castle than a house. Three Quidditch goals could be seen peaking over the roof of the house. Ginny couldn't help but feel like she was the luckiest girl in the world to get to live there.

The second folder had contained brief descriptions of all the players. Some things were normal information, like the fact that Tank had a wife, daughter, and son, but others were extremely odd, like the note that MJ liked chopped bananas before bed.

"Merlin, I really am going to have to be their Mum, aren't I?" Ginny asked herself.

"Don't let them take advantage of you," Mr. Perry said as he walked into her office. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No," Ginny replied with a smile. "But I can't help but notice thatHarry Potter's file is missing."

"Well, that's because there is no file on Mr. Potter," Mr. Perry replied. "He likes his privacy, so we discussed it, and he compromised that he wouldn't have a file but he would be responsible for his own personal needs."

"Fine by me," Ginny muttered, forgetting who she was with.

"Actually, that's part of the reason I've come by," he began slowly.

Ginny felt her stomach drop. "Is he trying to get me fired?"

"Just the opposite; he tried to quit. Fortunately for me, he's signed a binding wizard contract that he can't get out of. He's exactly what this team and this country need," Mr. Perry informed her. "He gave this country hope, and if they can watch him have fun maybe they'll start having fun again, too."

"But I'm disposable," Ginny added bitterly.

"Not at all. You have a wonderful chemistry with most of the team, and they seem to respect you already despite your age," Mr. Perry said quickly. "I think that as long as your history with Mr. Potter doesn't get in the way, you'll be an asset to this team."

"But if it does?"

"Then we'll have to reassess the situation." Ginny looked at her boss gratefully. "But let's talk about something more fun. Are you ready to move into the house?"

"The actual house? What about the cottage?" Ginny asked.

"That's where Coach Mason will be staying. You'll be staying in the house with the team. You'll have your own wing, of course, but you need to be accessible to the team at all times."

"Oh."

"Is that a problem?" Mr. Perry asked.

"No, it'll be just like living with my brothers again," Ginny replied with a reassuring smile.

"So, I'll see you there after lunch? You should arrive before the team so you can get settled in before they get there," Mr. Perry told her.

"Of course. I'll meet you there after lunch," Ginny said. Mr. Perry turned to walk out of her office and Ginny turned her attention back to her desk.

"Oh and Miss Weasley, one more thing," he called, turning around in the doorframe.

"Yes?"

"You are aware that we frown upon you dating any of the team members, aren't you?"

Ginny's face flushed. "There's nothing going on between Harry and me!'

Mr. Perry's face scrunched in confusion. "I was talking about Jeffrey Collins. You did attend the banquet with him, didn't you?"

"Oh, um, yes, I did," Ginny stuttered. "It was more out of a favor to Ron." She took a deep breath and regained her composure. "Don't worry, most of the team is much too old for me to be interested in, Jeff included." Mr. Perry simply smiled at her and continued on his way.

* * *

Ginny arrived in front of the large manor levitating her trunk in front of her. She was still in awe of the building; it was the kind of place you dreamed of living as a child. She was interrupted from her thoughts by Mr. Perry calling her from the entryway.

"Miss Weasley! Hurry, come on over!" he called happily.

Ginny walked over to the door and her boss. "I'm not late, am I?"

"No, not at all. Do come in," Mr. Perry said, holding the door open for her.

Ginny walked in and her jaw dropped. If she had thought the outside was impressive it was nothing compared to the inside. "It's amazing."

"Isn't it, though? Now, your room is off of the stairs to your left. You'll have your own little wing. The rooms are a bit smaller than the team's rooms, but you should be more than comfortable. The team's rooms are on the right. Tank, being captain, will get his own room, but the other guys will have to share. It's up to you to determine the arrangements. Don't tell them, but there's plenty of room for them to live separately, but I think it will be good for their bonding." Ginny looked at her boss, trying to absorb all of the information he was spitting out. "Bonding is an important part of this team. You'll need to try and make sure they have some kind of a bonding experience every night. There are about five house elves around here somewhere, they should stay out of your way, but if you ever need to talk to them there's a bigger kitchen through the door in the back of the kitchen for the team's use." Ginny nodded her head. "Right, then the first practice is tomorrow at 9 AM, so make sure the guys get plenty of sleep. They should be here shortly, so why don't you go get settled in."

"Mr. Perry, shouldn't they be bonding with Coach Mason instead of me?" Ginny asked.

"Actually, no. I don't want them to be close to Mason. I want them to respect him, but at the same time fear him. They'll work harder for him that way. You, on the other hand, I want to be their friend. They'll need to respect you so they'll listen to you, but I also want them to be able to go to you when they have a problem, with the team or otherwise. That's why you're in the house and Mason is in the cottage. Now, go on up and get settled in."

Ginny walked up the stairs in a daze, not completely recovered from her boss's mile a minute instructions. She opened the door to her bedroom and gasped. It was the biggest room she'd ever stayed in. Not only was it big, it was beautiful. Everything went together; there was nothing mismatched, handmade, or secondhand in this room.

"I could stay here forever," Ginny whispered as she collapsed onto her big bed. She didn't know how long she had been lying there when she heard a familiar noise coming from downstairs. It was the unmistakable sound of a large group of boys storming into a house with trunks. She knew it all too well. She got out of her bed and straightened her clothes before heading back downstairs. She reached the bottom of the stairs just as Mr. Perry walked out the front door. She gulped as she realized that this was it, she was on her own.

"There she is!" MJ called happily. "How's the wee one doing?"

"Much better than you'll be if you don't stop calling me that," Ginny replied sweetly. She took a quick survey of the room; everyone was there, but Harry was expectedly hanging towards the back of the crowd.

"So what's the plan, other than practice tomorrow?" Jacob asked nervously.

"Well, you all need to get settled in I suppose," Ginny said, sending Jacob a warm smile. "Tank, you've got your own room, one of the benefits of being captain."

"Woohoo!" Tank called, shaking a fist in the air triumphantly.

Ginny chuckled. "Wesley and Jeff will be living together, no need to break up a team that works." They nodded appreciatively. "And that leaves MJ with Dustin and Jacob with Harry. Now if there aren't any problems…"

"I have a problem," Harry called, walking over to where she was standing.

"And what would that be?" Ginny asked, obviously annoyed.

"I need my own room," Harry informed her.

"Oh, is that all? Let me think… NO!" Ginny said.

"I have to have my own room," Harry insisted.

"You don't have to have anything. You will get no special treatment from me because of who you are." Ginny turned her attention away from the frustrated seeker and back to the rest of the quiet team. "Now that that's settled, go unpack, and then come back down. We'll have a 'bonding activity,' as Mr. Perry likes to call it, before dinner." Everyone could tell that the issue wasn't open for discussion, and they silently made their way up the stairs. Ginny walked into the living room and settled herself down on one of the couches. _"What am I going to do with you, Harry Potter?"_

_

* * *

_

An hour later the team had gathered again in the living room. Ginny was still sitting on one of the couches with Tank and Wesley, Jeff was lying down on the floor, Jacob and Dustin were sitting on the floor, leaning against a wall, and Harry and MJ were sitting in arm chairs. Ginny could sense the tension in the room that had been there since her fight with Harry earlier. She took a deep breath and gathered her courage.

"I've been looking through all of your files today, and it's obvious that while some of you know each other very well, some of you don't know each other at all. I figured we could start out our time here just telling each other a little bit about ourselves," Ginny paused, noticing no one was jumping up offering information. "I guess I'll start. Well, you all know my name is Ginny Weasley and I had six older brothers. You all know that I just graduated from Hogwarts and was in Gryffindor, but you probably don't know that I was Head Girl. I didn't make prefect my fifth or sixth year, but I guess once the bad influence of my brothers was gone I cleaned up my ways a little bit." Ginny stopped, and decided to be completely honest; hoping the team would follow her lead. "Also, I guess that the last year of the war really made me grow up. I mean, you can't help but grow up when you suffer as much loss as my family did; it's unavoidable."

"What are your parents like?" Tank asked.

"Well my dad, Merlin bless him, is a bit muggle obsessed. He's a wonderful man, and a wonderful father. He still works at the Ministry." Ginny snuck a quick glimpse at Harry and saw he was looking at the ground, but smiling. "My mum was the greatest witch I ever had the pleasure of knowing. She wasn't overly powerful, but she loved everyone who ever entered her home, and she mothered anyone who would let her. She was fiercely protective of her family and those she loved."

"Was?" Jacob asked quietly.

"She died during the battle where Voldemort was defeated, protecting her children," Ginny explained, fighting back her tears. "On a more cheerful note, I started sneaking out to our broom shed at the age of six to ride my brothers' brooms, and I've loved Quidditch ever since." Ginny smiled at the team. "Alright, Mr. Captain, would you like to be next?"

Tank grinned at her. "Absolutely. I'm not quite as fresh out of Hogwarts as the lovely Miss Weasley. I guess I'm technically old enough to be her father, but I'd say I'm more in the older brother range. When I was at Hogwarts I was in Gryffindor, and I made the house team my third year. I've been playing professional Quidditch since I was twenty, and I haven't missed a season except for the year it was cancelled. I had an older brother who also played Quidditch, but he was killed during the Death Eater attack at the Pride's game two years ago. I always thought that he would be happy that he died while playing Quidditch, and that canceling the rest of the season would enrage him so much he'd come back and haunt the people at the Ministry." Tank chuckled softly. "My mum and dad live in London, and they try to make every one of my matches. I married my sweetheart from Hogwarts, Marissa, and now she and I have a beautiful daughter, Helen, and a handsome son, Eric. Marissa will be quick to tell you that I snore like a demon and that dessert is the way to my heart. I like to think I'm pretty even tempered, unless, of course, you threaten someone that I love."

"So, no threatening Tank's dessert," MJ joked.

"For that you can go next," Ginny piped up.

"I'm not one to shy away from talking about myself!" MJ jumped up from his seat and stood on the coffee table. "My name is Matthew Johnson, graduate from Hogwarts and chaser from the Quidditch Cup winning Gryffindor team with the great seeker Charlie Weasley. I guess you could say that with my combination of rugged good looks and amazing Quidditch talent, I've always been a bit of a ladies man."

Everyone laughed and Wesley threw a pillow at him. "Stick to the facts, mate!"

"Before I was so rudely interrupted," MJ continued, "I was saying that I'm still single because I can't seem to pick just one girl to settle down with. I'm an only child, but my cousin Angelina shares my love for Quidditch."

"She's a drill sergeant," Ginny commented, causing everyone to start laughing again.

"Anyway, my dad died when I was young, he had an unfortunate run in with a dragon. So it was pretty much just me and Mum growing up. If we're being completely honest, my mum says I use humor as my defense mechanism. She says it's always been my way of handling things."

"And you don't like the twins?" Ginny asked with a grin.

"Nah, I love those gits. I just like to give Fred a hard time about Angelina. I wouldn't be a good mate or a good cousin if I didn't," MJ explained.

"Why didn't Angelina ever mention that she had a cousin that played professional Quidditch?" Harry asked, speaking up for the first time.

MJ looked at him surprised, but quickly recovered. "I guess because I never made a team until after she graduated. Quidditch has always been my passion, but to be honest it never came as easily to me as it did to others. When the war started to get bad and Quidditch players started quitting, I finally made a team. I worked my arse off so no one could say that I didn't deserve my spot on the team. When they cancelled the season, I kept training, determined that when things got better I was going to make a team again, and here I am today." Harry nodded and resumed his prior activity of examining the floor.

"Okay, who's next?" Ginny asked.

"I'll go," Wesley said. "Well, I also went to Hogwarts. I think I was there about the same time as Charlie and MJ, but I was in Ravenclaw. My family was big, but about the opposite of Ginny's. I was the youngest and I had four older sisters. We're all married now; my wife's name is Lori and we have a son, and I have five nieces and three nephews. My parents are getting on up there in age, but they spend all of their time traveling, stopping by from time to time to stay with one of us kids."

"I can't wait for my brothers to have kids," Ginny mused. "Actually, I can't wait for my brothers to stop acting like kids." Harry snorted and quickly fought back his chuckle.

Wesley shot Harry an odd look. "Anyway, I started playing Quidditch professionally when I was about 22, after realizing that a desk job simply was not for me. In my first game I was so nervous I swung my bat with all my might, missed the bludger, and got knocked off my broom. I had broken my leg, but the healer knew I was okay when I asked her out. A year later that healer married me and the rest is history."

"That's so sweet," Ginny gushed. "Alright, Dustin, you're up."

Dustin sighed before he started talking. "Well, I'm probably closer in age to Tank than the rest of you youngins. To continue all of the Hogwarts and house talk, I was in Slytherin. Before you go jumping to any conclusions," he shot Harry a look, "I never was nor will I ever be a dark wizard. My parents weren't the best kind of people, but they weren't Death Eaters either. They were just very into blood lines. I always thought it was rubbish, but it was hard to voice an opinion that contradicted that crowd. After graduation, my parents wanted me to worm my way into the Ministry so they could have more influence, but I refused, so they cut me off. I had never been without money before, so I turned to the one thing I was good at: Quidditch. I haven't talked to my parents since they cut me off, and they've never met my wife, Beth, or our sons, Marcus and Davis."

"I'm sorry," Tank said sympathetically.

"Don't be," Dustin said bitterly. "I'm a better person for leaving my parents. Alright Jake, you're up. I know your life was a bit more cheerful than mine."

Jacob flushed slightly. "Well, I too went to Hogwarts. I was in Hufflepuff. I played against MJ during his seventh year. I would have been playing against Harry his first year, but my parents thought it would be best if I concentrated on my N.E.W.T.S."

"What good are test scores for a professional Quidditch player?" Wesley asked.

"Well, my parents thought Quidditch was a waste of time. They wanted me to do something important in the Ministry; maybe one day be Minister of Magic," Jacob explained. "But when we got my test scores back they were terrible. My parents were so disappointed in me; I think Mum sobbed for days. When she was finally talking to me again I told her that I was going to try out for Quidditch, and she started crying again. My dad was okay with it, but Mum's never been to a game. I think the happiest I ever made them was when I married Chloe because she has a great job at the Ministry."

"Okay, my turn," Jeff said suddenly. "I did not go to Hogwarts, therefore I have no house. My dad was an Auror and my mum died when I was a baby, so I had to go with my dad wherever the Ministry wanted him to go. We moved to France when I was like six, and we stayed there until I was 19. I got a Hogwarts' letter, but my dad wanted me to stay closer to him, so I went to Beauxbatons."

"So you're bilingual?" Jacob asked.

"Yep."

"You know my brother's girlfriend was French, Fleur Delacour," Ginny said sadly.

"I know her, or at least of her," Jeff said with an odd look on his face. "You don't forget a part veela very quickly." His face glazed over and Wesley threw one of the remaining pillows at him. "Sorry. Anyway, I had a great childhood, I met a lot of interesting people, and I played a lot of Quidditch. Actually, I'll probably know most of the French National team. Don't worry; I was the best beater in that school the whole time I was there!"

"Self confident, isn't he?" Ginny asked Tank loudly, causing the room to erupt in laughter. "Alright, so only one more."

"You might want to get parchment and a quill so you can take notes, Jake," MJ teased. Jacob blushed and a scowl crossed over Harry's face. "Go ahead, Potter."

"I went to Hogwarts," Harry began, staring at a blank space on the wall. "I was a Gryffindor and I graduated a year ago. I made the Quidditch team my first year, got a lifetime ban during my fifth, then got the ban revoked during my sixth, and then nobody got to play during my seventh." Jacob made a noise like he was going to say something, but Harry glared at him.

"Come on, mate," Tank said gently. "We all just gave you the down and dirty on our lives. There's got to be a little more you can share."

"What do you want me to say?" Harry asked bitterly. "That my parents were killed by a dark wizard when I was a baby because there was some stupid prophecy made about me? That I spent my childhood growing up with people who hated me living in a cupboard under the stairs? That I never had a friend until my first year at Hogwarts?" Harry's face was growing red as he spoke and his voice level was rising. "Do you want to hear about the seven times I faced Voldemort in one way or another before I turned eighteen? Do you want to hear about how I lost almost anyone and everyone I ever loved?"

Ginny jumped up from the couch. "These people are just trying to be your friends! You have no right to talk to them like this!" she yelled.

"What would you know about being a friend?" Harry spat, now standing as well.

"Oh, you're one to talk, Potter! Do you think that you were the only one who suffered during the war? You need to get over it. Better yet, you need to get over yourself."

Harry let out a bitter laugh. "You think you know me so well, don't you?" But he didn't wait for her to respond; he ran out of the room and up the stairs to the room he shared with Jacob.

Ginny felt the tears filling her eyes. She looked apologetically at the remaining team members. "I'm sorry about that. The house elves should have dinner ready in a few minutes. Get plenty of sleep before practice tomorrow." She turned and walked up the stairs to her bedroom, making sure the door was closed tightly behind her before she started to cry.

* * *

Tank, Wesley, Jeff, Dustin, MJ, and Jacob sat silent in the living room, trying to figure out what they had just witnessed.

"So much for team unity," Jeff said bitterly.

"Give him time," Tank said. "He's been through so much, and he's still so young. He'll open up to us eventually; he just needs to see that he can trust us."

"Yeah, but that's no excuse to talk to Ginny like that," Jeff argued.

"I agree, and if he does it again I'll smack some sense into him," Tank said. "MJ, you probably know the most about their history, what can you tell us?"

MJ thought about it for a moment before speaking. "Well, Angelina never had anything but praise for him, except for when he got kicked off her team. She forgave him when they won the cup anyway. Ironically enough it was Ginny who saved the team. I know that Fred used to talk about him all the time the first couple times I met him, before the end of the war. But after that it was like every time he was mentioned the room went quiet and he and George both just had very dark looks on their faces. I don't know what happened, but I think it had something to do with a girl."

"Ron and Harry fought over a girl," Jeff spoke up. "Ginny told me after the banquet. Apparently, Harry was really part of their family, but in the end he left with the girl and lost the family."

"That doesn't make any sense," Wesley said. "I mean, Potter definitely doesn't act like a guy who won the girl. He always uses only one of his guest passes, and then gives the rest to one of us with a family. It's the same thing at every game; a different girl sitting in the stands cheering him on, although they all tend to have fairly radical appearances and the few I've met were all very clumsy."

"I remember reading about him moving in with a girl right after he got out of Hogwarts," Jacob added. "It was reported that they'd been dating on and off since their fourth year, if I remember correctly."

"So why hasn't she ever come to anything with him?" Dustin asked.

"Because he likes his private life? Maybe the random girls are just friends," MJ suggested.

"Wasn't he with a girl in that picture in the Prophet from the memorial a couple of weeks ago?" Jacob asked.

"You would be the one who knew," MJ teased him.

"I don't think our new Mom was being completely honest about their past relationship, regardless of what Potter's current relationship status is," Dustin said.

"Looks like we have a bit of a mystery, boys," Tank said. "Let's just hope it doesn't interfere with our game."

* * *

Ginny lay in her bed, exhausted from crying. She had worked so long to create a tough exterior, to forget about all of the pain, and in one night it all came crashing back. She felt her stomach rumble and realized she hadn't eaten anything since her lunch hours ago. She rolled out of bed and headed out of her room, not really caring what she looked like. She trudged down the stairs and made her way into the smaller kitchen. She was so exhausted she didn't even notice Harry standing at the counter eating a biscuit. She looked at him awkwardly before she noticed he looked as miserable as she felt.

"Hey," Harry said quietly.

Ginny knew it was a temporary peace offering. "Hey," she replied, accepting the offer.

"I missed dinner," Harry said.

"Me too," Ginny replied.

"I'm sorry I was such a jerk. I shouldn't have blown up like that," he said. Ginny couldn't help but chuckle. "What?" Harry asked, obviously offended.

"You've grown up. It would have taken the old Harry at least a week to apologize, if he apologized at all," Ginny said with a small smile. Their eyes met and Ginny was reminded of all the pain he had caused her family. She turned away from him and began rummaging for food. "How's Hermione?" she asked coolly.

"She's fine as far as I know," Harry replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I haven't talked to her in over a year, I was just curious," Ginny answered.

"Actually, I haven't talked to her in about a month," Harry informed her.

"Too busy with all of your little tarts to talk to her?" Ginny asked without thinking. Harry glared at her. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

"I'm just surprised, that's all," Harry said, unable to mask the hurt in his voice. "I thought you of all people knew me better than that." Harry recollected himself. "So, what happened to becoming the best healer in England?"

"I wasn't ready to go back to school and live at home. What happened to becoming England's top Auror?"

"I was…" Harry's voice trailed off and he shook his head. "Didn't want to settle down yet." The kitchen filled with an awkward silence.

"Do you think we can get past our problems and be civil?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not the one with the problem," Harry retorted.

"Then why did you just cut yourself off from our family? You could have at least sent a letter or something. Even if Ron didn't want to hear from you doesn't mean the rest of us didn't."

Harry looked and her and sighed. "You don't know what you're talking about." Ginny gaped at him as she watched him disappear back up the stairs. She had turned her attention back to finding something to eat when she felt something tugging at her skirt. She turned around and gasped. "Dobby?"

"Miss Wheezy! It's good to see you again!" the house elf exclaimed happily.

"Did you come here with Harry?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Oh, no!" Dobby cried, fidgeting around nervously. "Harry Potter mustn't know Dobby is here!"

"Why not?"

"Dobby is here to take care of Harry Potter; to make sure Harry Potter takes care of himself. But they don't want Harry Potter to know; they think it would make him angry!"

"Who's they, Dobby?" Ginny asked patiently.

"Miss Granger and Headmistress. They pay Dobby to secretly look out for Harry Potter when they can't," Dobby explained.

"Oh," Ginny said softly.

"Dobby would be happy to get Miss Wheezy anything she needs, just don't tell Harry Potter."

"Thanks Dobby. Don't worry, I won't say anything." As Dobby disappeared into the larger kitchen Ginny sighed. "_Why are you such a mystery, Harry?"_

* * *

A/N I really didn't mean to go this long between posting, but when I went to update the site was down. Oh well, the best laid plans... Anyway, I'm about to leave school to go celebrate the holidays with my family. Unfortunately that means I won't have internet access until next weekend. At least this was a long chapter, right? Anyway, thanks as always for all of the reviews! They really make my day! I hope when I come back I'll be several chapters farther into the story.


	4. Playing a Game

_This chapter is dedicated to all of the people who have reviewed my stories :)_

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* * *

_

_Day After Attack on Hogsmeade_

_Ron Weasley was worried sick; both of his best friends were in the hospital wing and he wasn't allowed to see them. He was tormented by his thoughts of that afternoon. It was his and Hermione's anniversary and all he wanted was to enjoy a nice day out. They deserved it after everything they'd been through that year. Their relationship had been strained ever since her parents had been murdered, but he finally felt like things were back on track. He had given her space while she mourned, understanding when she needed to talk to Harry about everything instead of him. It broke his heart to see her crying on Harry's shoulder instead of his own, but he had been patient and given her space. He felt so helpless, just as he had a few months earlier when Percy had died. For the most part, he had always considered Percy to be a bit of a git, but he was his brother and he loved him. Ron shook his head. He didn't know what he'd do if he lost Harry or Hermione. So many students had already died, and most of the sixth and seventh year Slytherins had left school to become official Death Eaters. Hogwarts was in turmoil; classes were indefinitely cancelled, partially because most of the professors were either fighting or in the hospital wing. He and Ginny had sat silently in the common room ever since they were brought back from Hogsmeade, watching the portrait hole, waiting for news. Finally, some time close to midnight, Professor McGonagall walked through the portrait hole._

"_Mister Weasley, Miss Weasley, things have finally calmed down enough in the hospital wing to permit visitors," she said solemnly._

"_How are they?" Ginny squeaked._

"_They'll make it through the night. Come with me." McGonagall led them down the familiar pathway to the hospital wing, leaving them alone by the door. "Don't stay too long, and don't make much noise. The people in there need their rest."_

_Ginny took off looking for Harry's bed and Ron slowly made his way to Hermione's. It didn't take long for Ron to find it, but he wasn't prepared for the sight before him. His jaw dropped when he saw Harry sleeping soundly in Hermione's bed while she snuggled up against his chest. He slowly backed away and in the process walked straight into a frantic Ginny._

"_Harry's not in his bed!" Tears threatened to fall from Ginny's eyes, but Ron couldn't bring himself to comfort her. All he could do was point in the direction of Hermione's bed before turning to leave the hospital wing._

_Ginny gasped when she saw Harry and Hermione. She couldn't hold back her tears any longer. She watched as Hermione stirred in her sleep, wrapping her arm possessively around Harry's waist. Ginny felt her heart break right there on the spot. She fled the hospital wing sobbing._

_

* * *

_

By the time Ginny woke up the next morning, she could hear the boys downstairs. She rolled over in bed and groaned; she had wanted to be up before everyone else. She got out of bed and hurriedly got dressed. She pinned her hair up in a bun and ran down towards the dining room. When she reached the door, she paused, unsure if she wanted to intrude on the good time it appeared that the team was having. After all, part of her job was to make sure they bonded. She quietly listened in on their conversation.

"So how'd you sleep, MJ?" she heard Tank ask.

"Like a baby. I think that is the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in," MJ replied.

"I completely agree," Jacob added.

"So Jake, did you pay close attention to the sleeping habits of the great Harry Potter?" MJ teased. Ginny assumed that Harry must not be in the room yet.

"Actually, no. I was asleep before he came to bed and he was already up and in the bathroom when I got up this morning," Jacob admitted. "Oh, hi Harry."

"Well, I can tell you that Jacob snores," Harry said, causing everyone to laugh.

"Sleep well?" Wesley asked.

"I only wish I could have slept longer," Harry replied. It made Ginny smile to hear Harry making a real effort to be friends with the other guys, no matter how she felt about him. It reminded her of the mornings in the Burrow with her brothers.

"I hear you there, mate," Dustin added.

"So do you live alone, Harry? You don't look like you're used to having company at the breakfast table," Jeff asked.

"Depends on how you look at it. My roommate, Hermione, works in the Department of Mysteries," Harry said.

"What does she do there?" Wesley interrupted.

"No clue. She's the perfect kind of employee though; no close family, no husband, and no kids. She travels around Europe a lot, so between her traveling and my own we're pretty much never in our flat at the same time," Harry explained. Ginny immediately regretted her comments from the night before, and became even more confused by Harry. She felt her heart begin to race inexplicably and she felt a lump rise in her throat.

"Am I the only one that's nervous about practice this morning?" Jacob asked.

"Why are you nervous? I mean, we've been practicing with Mason for a while now, and you've already made the team," Jeff asked.

"I'm more nervous about the first press conference," Harry admitted.

"Aren't you used to that kind of thing by now?" Tank asked.

"They get worse every time. The reporters won't leave me alone. I'll go ahead and apologize ahead of time if the press pays more attention to what I ate for breakfast than how the team plays," Harry said. Ginny couldn't help but think of Ron spending his school days in Harry's shadow.

"When is the first press conference?" Dustin asked.

Ginny decided to make her presence known and join them. "Friday afternoon."

"Morning, Ginny," Jeff said.

"Good morning to all of you," Ginny said with a smile. "I hope you all got enough sleep. I don't want Mason to be on my case because you lot stayed up all night gossiping and doing each other's nails."

"Don't forget about our hair," MJ added.

"I think we'll all play our best," Tank assured her.

"You'd better," Mason said, walking into the dining room.

"Good morning Coach Mason," Ginny said sweetly.

"I hope you weren't distracting them from their game," Mason scowled at her.

"Of course not," Ginny stuttered, unsure of what she did to make the older man act like he didn't like her.

"Good. Now, I want you all out on the pitch in ten minutes," Mason said as he stormed out of dining room.

"I think someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Dustin muttered.

"He just wants to do a good job," Tank said. "But regardless, we should be heading out. I know I don't want him looking at me like he was looking at Miss Weasley." They all laughed and started to leave the room. Ginny grabbed Harry's arm and held him behind.

"Yes?" Harry asked politely.

"I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted last night. You were right; I haven't been much of a friend towards you. I'd like to try and fix that," Ginny said, not believing that the words were coming out of her own mouth.

Harry looked at her as if he couldn't decide how to react. "Um, okay," he said as he made his way towards the pitch.

Ginny watched him leave and shook her head in disgust. _"Why did I just do that? I just wanted to be civil with him, not try and be his friend again."_

_

* * *

_

Ginny had stayed in her room planning the week's activities the entire time the team was at practice. She never knew how much work went into running a Quidditch team. She had to arrange everything from what the house elves would fix for every meal, making sure that a variety of each of the guys' favorite foods were available at all times, to arranging family visits in between practices, press conferences, and the occasional banquet. Dates and locations danced through her mind and her head ached from all the reading. She looked at the clock on the wall and realized she'd worked straight through lunch and it would soon be dinner time. She walked back downstairs to find the team coming in from the back door at the same time.

"How was practice?" she asked no one in particular.

"Depends on who you ask," Jeff muttered.

Jacob groaned and collapsed into one of the arm chairs in the living room. "I played horribly. I think Mason wanted to replace me before lunch."

"You weren't that bad, mate," MJ said, although Ginny wasn't convinced by his tone of voice.

"Don't worry, nobody was in top form today," Tank said. "It's just nerves from the first team practice."

"If we play like that, we won't make it past the first round of the World Cup," Wesley moaned, sitting down on the couch.

"Well, we'd play better if some people didn't look like they were going to fall asleep on their brooms," Dustin said, shooting a look in Harry's direction.

"Hey, I caught the snitch more times than Jacob scored," Harry said defensively.

"Okay, time out!" Ginny called. "You guys are never going to get any better if you just blame each other for why you played like rubbish."

"She's right," Tank added. "I think we should leave the Quidditch on the pitch every night. Mason's driving us hard enough on strategy during practice that I think it's only fair that we get our nights free."

"Besides, this is no way to accomplish all of the bonding that Mr. Perry requested," Ginny added with a smile.

"So what's on the schedule for bonding tonight?" Jeff asked.

"Well, I was thinking about bringing out a little game that the twins developed. It's sort of like a truth or dare type game, but it's only truth, and you're magically obligated to tell the truth," Ginny explained.

"I'm not sure if I like the sound of that," Jacob said nervously.

"Oh, come on," MJ said. "I'm sure it's perfectly harmless. If it'll make you feel better, we can set some ground rules about the kinds of questions you can ask."

"I don't know…" Jacob said.

Ginny noticed that Harry was also looking extremely uneasy at the idea of the game. "Why don't you guys go clean up, and I'll set things up down here. I'll try to make an adjustment to the game so that everyone can pass on one question." Everyone nodded and disappeared up the stairs. Ginny ran up to her room and grabbed the game. She went back down to the living room and set it up the way George had taught her, making the slight change to allow for the one pass per person. She had conveniently not mentioned to the guys that every time they lied a piece of their clothing would disappear; the bigger the lie, the bigger the article of clothing. One by one the guys made their way back down the stairs smelling a great deal better, and settled into similar positions from the night before. When everyone arrived, they all looked at Ginny expectedly. "Alright, well everyone needs to place their wands in the cup on the coffee table." After everyone complied the cup glowed green. "Now, we just go around asking each other questions. You can ask whoever you want, but keep in mind that whoever you ask gets to ask a question next. Retribution can be fun." Ginny looked nervously around to everyone. She quickly decided that MJ would be the best person to start with. She grinned at him mischievously. "Okay, MJ, tell us about your first kiss."

MJ's face broke into a huge smile. "Oh, it was brilliant! I took her with me to Hogsmeade, and it was right after a big Quidditch win my fourth year. Her name was Rachel, and she was a year ahead of me. We were sitting in the Three Broomsticks, and suddenly I just had the urge to kiss her right then and there, so I did. We kissed for a few minutes before a fifth year threw something at my head." They watched as the cup glowed blue.

"That confirms you were telling the truth," Ginny stated. "Your turn to ask a question."

MJ looked around the room and settled his focus on Harry, who was awkwardly looking at the floor. "Potter." Harry looked at him, his eyes wide in fear. "Same question." Ginny wasn't sure if Harry looked relieved or panicked.

Harry wrung his hands nervously. "It was my fifth year, after a club meeting. She stayed behind and we were talking and I kissed her." Harry looked at the cup nervously, and watched as it turned green again.

"That means you didn't tell the whole truth," Ginny said, fighting a smirk. "So you get two chances to fess up or you'll have to face the consequences."

"No one said anything about consequences," Jacob protested.

"Didn't I?" Ginny asked innocently. "Oh well, too late now."

Harry stared at the cup. "She was pretty?" The cup stayed green. "I had fancied her for awhile?" The cup turned red and Harry's right shoe disappeared.

"So, that's the consequence," Tank commented, obviously amused.

Harry, however, didn't look nearly as amused. He gave Ginny a look that could kill. "Ginny, what was your most embarrassing moment?"

Ginny's face flushed as she considered her options; she could tell the truth, which would be fairly mortifying, she could lie and lose an article of clothing, or she could pass and pray she didn't get a worse question later in the game. She gathered her breath and her courage. "Before my first year at Hogwarts, I came running down the stairs in my oldest night gown to find the guy that I had the biggest crush on sitting at the kitchen table with my brothers. I completely flipped out and ran back up the stairs, so embarrassed that I couldn't talk around him properly for the next several years." Ginny's face flushed as the cup turned green.

"Now, that wasn't quite the whole story, was it Ginny?" Harry taunted her.

"I think Potter's enjoying your torment a little too much," Tank said, fighting back his laughter. "I think the only way to shut him up is to come completely clean."

"He was the one I had the crush on," Ginny muttered quietly. She glanced at the cup and saw it didn't change colors.

"I think that was too quiet; you'll have to speak up," Wesley said.

It was obvious to Ginny now that everyone was enjoying her discomfort. She locked her eyes with Harry's and held her head high. "I had a crush on Harry until I got over him in my fourth year." To Ginny's surprise, the cup turned red and her right shoe disappeared. Harry looked at her curiously but didn't say anything. Everyone else had finally given into their laughter. Unsure of what had happened, Ginny turned her focus to Wesley, determined to shift the game away from her. "Wes, what are you most afraid of?"

Ginny was only vaguely aware of the game continuing. She tried to laugh when everyone else did, but her mind was trying to figure why the cup said she was lying. _"Because, silly girl," _the logical part of her mind told her, _"You didn't get over him fourth year, you started to really love him."_

"Earth to Ginny," Jeff called.

"I'm sorry, what?" Ginny asked, still somewhat dazed. It was only then that she noticed Jeff was also missing a shoe.

"I asked you what your worst childhood memory was," Jeff said, a little annoyed. Ginny's face flushed and she tried to keep the memory in the back of her mind. She was debating on what to do again when she heard Harry speak up.

"Just pass, Gin. You shouldn't answer that."

Ginny looked at him, surprised by the obvious concern in his voice. "Pass," she whispered meekly. She looked down to avoid the strange looks everyone was giving her.

"I think the rules say it's still your turn," Dustin said softly.

Ginny looked around the room, and her eyes locked with Harry's again. Harry's display of emotion for her a few moments ago urged her to ask one of the questions she really wanted answered, but at the last moment she chickened out slightly and asked a smaller question. "Have you ever been in love?"

"Yes," Harry said, his voice cracking. The cup turned green.

"I don't think that was enough information," MJ said with a smile, not noticing the intense stare between Harry and Ginny.

"When I was in school, I didn't think I deserved love. I thought that everyone who cared about me was destined to get hurt, so I kept it to myself. Late in my seventh year I finally decided to try and act on it due to the urging of a friend, but nothing turned out the way I wanted," Harry said as fast as he could manage. The cup turned blue, causing two very different reactions; Harry let out a sigh of relief and Ginny inwardly groaned.

"_So he at least was in love with Hermione,"_ Ginny thought bitterly as the painful memories were brought forward. _"Why does he continue to deny it and act like the victim?" _But even more than she was angry with Harry for continuing to lie, Ginny knew she was angry with herself for allowing her heart start to hope again.

Ginny sat disinterestedly through several more rounds of the game, vaguely hearing small things like Jacob was terrified of failure and Dustin once put spiders down one of his old teammate's robes. She and Harry weren't asked any more questions. She couldn't help but notice how he was avoiding her face like the plague. She was relieved when one of the house elves came into the room, announcing that dinner was ready. She pulled all of the wands out of the cup and everyone's missing clothing appeared.

"Well, that was fun," Tank said. "Can't wait to see what you come up with for tomorrow night, Miss Weasley."

Ginny forced a smile and walked into the dining room. She didn't manage much of a word during dinner other than pass the rolls.

* * *

The next morning, Ginny managed to make it downstairs before the guys. She took a seat at the head of the dining room table and helped herself to scrambled eggs and toast. She had just taken a big bite when Harry walked sleepily into the room. He sat down at the table, as far away from Ginny as possible. They ate in silence, both saying silent prayers for someone else to come downstairs.

"Morning beautiful," MJ called as he walked into the room and sat down. He grinned at Ginny. "Don't be jealous, love, but I don't think anyone is as beautiful as Potter in the morning."

"No worries," Ginny said, sounding much more cheerful than she felt.

"Oy, Harry," Jeff said walking into the dining room with Jacob. "You look like hell. Didn't you get any sleep?"

"I'm telling you, Jacob snores," Harry replied, barely looking up from his food.

Ginny was about to reprimand Harry, but she noticed how mortified Jacob looked and decided to drop it. "I hope you all play better today for all of our sakes," Ginny commented dryly.

"You and me both," Wesley said as he walked into the room with Dustin. "I don't want to know if Mason meant all of those threats he made yesterday if he said we didn't play any better."

"I suggest you have some strong coffee, Harry," Dustin said as he eyed the seeker's condition.

"Thanks," Harry mumbled as he poured himself a mug.

"Are you done stuffing your faces?" Mason asked as he walked into the dining room.

"Just about," Tank replied, cramming a muffin into his mouth.

"I want you all to play your best today. Tomorrow you're scheduled to have the morning off and have a light afternoon practice, but I can change that if I see fit," Mason said as he made his way towards the Quidditch pitch.

"Always the pleasant one," MJ commented.

"Alright, let's go," Tank said. Ginny again watched the team leave again, but this time she resisted her urge to hold Harry back. She had known him long enough to know that something was wrong, and it wasn't Jacob's snoring. She just had to figure out whether or not it was her job to care anymore.

* * *

Ginny was working on finalizing the details for the press conference on Friday in the living room when she heard the team come back into the house. It was not long before they appeared before her looking every bit as exhausted and frustrated as they had the day before.

"That bad?" Ginny asked sympathetically as they all collapsed onto various pieces of furniture.

"That obvious?" Jeff replied.

Ginny looked around the room and noticed someone was missing. "Where's Harry?"

"Well, after practicing all day, he still hasn't found the snitch once. Mason told him to stay out there until he caught it. I think he keeps dozing off," Wesley explained.

Ginny noticed that Tank and Jacob looked as worried as she felt. "I'm sure he'll be fine," Ginny tried to assure them.

"Well, if he doesn't look any better soon, I think Caleb will be in the house before the press conference on Friday," Dustin said.

"Oh, I hope not!" Ginny exclaimed.

Tank cocked an eyebrow at her. "Would you be sad to see Mr. Potter leave?"

"No, it would just cause a mountain of paper work for me and a huge scandal for the press," Ginny explained calmly.

"Sure," MJ teased her. "We all know about your crush now; there's no need to hide it."

Ginny blushed but maintained her cool. "What can I say? I was silly little girl." She paused and grinned at Jacob wickedly. "What's your excuse?"

"I don't have a crush on him!" Jacob yelled at the exact same time that Harry entered the room. At his presence, everyone else burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Harry asked.

"Nothing," Jeff managed to say through his laughter.

"Just because I've played horribly today doesn't mean I can't take a joke," Harry insisted, but everyone just starting laughing harder. "Fine," Harry huffed. "I'm going to go take a shower then." Harry stalked out of the room and up the stairs.

A few minutes later, everyone else had regained their composure. "So what's on the agenda for tonight, Ginny?" Tank asked.

"I think dinner, and then relaxing before bed. You all look like you could use the extra sleep, and maybe some time to write to your families. You'll all receive any letters that have been sent to you every Thursday, so you can send out letters then, too," Ginny informed them. "Now, all of you need to go upstairs and change clothes so I can manage to eat while sitting at the same table as you." They all chuckled and followed Ginny's orders.

When they were all safely upstairs, Ginny hurried into the kitchens. "Dobby?" she called.

Dobby appeared in front of her immediately. "Yes, Miss Wheezy?"

"I need you to do something for me."

"Anything," Dobby replied automatically.

"After everyone has gone to bed tonight, check up on Harry. He's not getting enough sleep, and I'm afraid that something is wrong."

"Something is wrong with Harry Potter? Oh, Miss Granger will not be happy!" Dobby exclaimed worriedly.

"I don't know for sure that something is wrong; I would just feel better if you checked on him," Ginny said patiently. "I want you to come and wake me up if anything doesn't look right." Dobby nodded his head and disappeared. _"Okay, Harry. Let's see if I can't figure out what you're hiding."_

* * *

_A/N Well, I'm back at school after a very nice break. I wrote another chapter and a half while I was gone, so I had a productive time as well. As always, thanks so much for your reviews. It really made my day when I finally got internet access and saw how many reviews I had for the last chapter! Hopefully I'll update again sometime before next weekend, we'll see how school goes!_


	5. Where's Harry?

_A/N This chapter is dedicated to my wonderful beta, who not only corrects my grammar, but helps me make sure that you guys can follow my plot._

Ginny didn't know how long she had been asleep when she was awoken by the sound of a strangled sob and her bed shaking. She sleepily pulled herself up to see what was causing the commotion.

"Dobby?" Ginny asked as she rubbed her eyes. "Dobby what's wrong?"

The house elf looked at her with his huge eyes, unable to stop his tears. "Dobby is a bad house elf!" he sobbed.

"Shhhh, Dobby," Ginny said, moving so she could try and comfort him. "Is there something wrong with Harry?" Dobby nodded his head as he began to sob harder. "I can't do anything to make it better if you don't tell me what's wrong," Ginny said as if she were talking to a small child.

"Dobby is a failure!"

"No, you're not," Ginny tried to convince him.

"Dobby's only job was to take care of the great Harry Potter and now he's missing!" Dobby wailed.

"Wait, what do you mean he's missing?" Ginny asked, trying not to panic.

"Dobby went to go check on him like Miss Wheezy asked and that captain man was in Harry Potter's bed!" Dobby managed to get out.

"So, Harry is probably just sleeping in Tank's room. He did want his own room," Ginny reasoned.

"But he isn't! Dobby and the other house elves have been checking the property for the last three hours and Harry Potter isn't here!"

"But no one other than myself, Mason, and Perry can Apparate within a mile of the property and the fireplace is only open if I open it!" Ginny exclaimed, growing angry. "He's either walking or flying a mile away from the property before he leaves."

"But he's gone!" Dobby cried.

"Don't worry, Dobby. I'm sure he'll be back. Were all of his things gone?" Ginny asked patiently. Dobby shook his head with a sniff. "Then he'll be back in the morning before he thinks anyone will miss him. Go get some sleep, Dobby. I'll take care of everything in the morning. Thank you for telling me." Dobby looked at her doubtfully, but left the room regardless. Ginny crawled back under her covers, fuming. _"Don't you worry Dobby; when I'm done with Harry he'll be lucky if he ever leaves the house again."_

_

* * *

_

Ginny didn't ever go back to sleep that night. She was dressed and downstairs an hour before any of the guys. They didn't have morning practice, so they were all taking advantage of the opportunity to have a bit of a lie in. Ginny took it as an opportunity to plan her attack.

"Merlin, Ginny, you look like hell," MJ said as he walked into the dining room with Wesley. Ginny glared at them, and they both nervously sat down without saying another word. The rest of the team made their way into the dining room, not speaking once they noticed the tension. Harry was the last one to arrive. As soon as he sat down Ginny stood up.

"You three," she pointed to Tank, Jacob, and Harry, "other room, right now." They nervously followed her into the living room and sat down together on the couch while she paced in front of them.

"Is there something wrong, Ginny?" Tank asked politely.

Ginny smiled and turned her focus to Tank and Jacob, completely ignoring Harry. "Mind telling me where you were sleeping last night, Tank?"

"That's my fault actually," Jacob spoke up. "You see, it was obvious that Harry wasn't getting enough sleep and he kept saying that I snored. So I figured he was a very light sleeper and my snoring was keeping him up at night. So I talked to Tank about it and he agreed to switch rooms with Harry for the sake of the team."

Ginny snorted. "Do you remember Hogwarts, Jacob?" He nodded. "How many boys lived in your dorm with you?"

"Four."

Ginny smiled at him sweetly. "Did you know that there were five boys living in Harry's dorm at school? Did you know that two of them were notoriously loud snorers?" Jacob flushed and shook his head. "Did you think that Harry just didn't get any sleep while he was at school for seven years?"

"Come on, Ginny," Tank said calmly. "He was just trying to look out for the team."

Ginny felt temporarily guilty for embarrassing Jacob, but a quick glance at the smirk on Harry's face and she was ready to yell again. "Tank, did it ever occur to you that I had a reason for wanting the living arrangements the way I did? That I told Harry he couldn't live by himself for a reason? Regardless of all that, did it ever occur to you to talk to me about the change in living arrangements? For someone who is supposed to be the captain of this team you weren't acting very responsibly!"

"You're right. Even though I still think that the change in living arrangements was in the best interest of the team, I should have talked to you about it first. I'm curious as to how you found out, though," Tank said.

Ginny sighed. "I'm sorry I yelled, but the house elves kind of freaked out when they noticed the change in living arrangements and woke me up in the middle of the night. I just hope that if you ever have a concern like this in the future you'll come to me before you act." Jacob and Tank nodded and Ginny noticed Harry was fighting not to laugh. "Then go finish your breakfast." They quickly hurried out of the room leaving Ginny alone with Harry.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about switching rooms, too," Harry said, not sounding like he meant it a bit.

"Oh, if only that were it, Harry," Ginny said calmly. "Would you like to tell me where you were last night?"

"In Tank's room sleeping?" Harry asked.

"Try again."

"In my flat sleeping?"

"I knew you thought you were above the rest of us as far as rules were concerned, but this really takes the cake. Why did you still feel the need to leave after you got your own room like you so desperately wanted?" Ginny asked.

"I don't sleep well in strange places? I wasn't thinking?" Harry suggested nonchalantly.

His attitude was the last straw for Ginny. "Harry James Potter!" she blew up. "Your bed was empty and you left no note! I was up half the night consoling the house elf that discovered you were missing. You owe all of the house elves an apology, by the way. They searched the entire property for three hours trying to find you!" Ginny took a deep breath to calm her emotions. "How did you get off the property?"

"Sirius's old motorbike," Harry said, his face red as he fought to hold in his laughter.

Ginny, however, was not amused. "That flying thing? Someone could have seen you! You could have gotten the entire Ministry in a world of trouble! I don't know what you were thinking!" At her last comment Harry couldn't hold in his laughter any longer. Ginny put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot impatiently. "What, might I ask, is so funny?"

Harry slid off the couch and onto the floor he was laughing so hard. When he finally managed to calm himself down he looked at Ginny with a grin. "I think I heard your brothers get that exact same speech from your mum when they came to pick me up from the Dursley's in your dad's car." Ginny felt her anger disappear and collapsed on the ground in a state between crying and laughing. "I swear you were channeling her just then!" Harry exclaimed. He noticed the tears that accompanied Ginny's laughter and became serious. "I miss her too, Gin. She was the only mum I ever knew."

Ginny's laughter stopped but the tears continued as she lay on the ground staring at the ceiling. "I wish she was still here."

"You have to know she's proud of you," Harry said softly.

"No, she's probably trying to figure out a way to come back and haunt us until we all get our acts together. She would have never let our family fall apart the way it has."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Dad never quite recovered when she died. He's functioning normally, but the spark is just gone from his eyes. Fred and George still talk to each other, obviously, but I think they're scared to come back to the Burrow because everything is just so serious there all the time. I think Charlie feels like he's living on borrowed time, so he keeps taking as many stupid risks as humanly possible."

"I heard about that last burn," Harry said absently. "Must have hurt like hell."

Ginny looked at him confused. "How'd you here about that?"

Harry shrugged. "I think I read about it in the paper or something."

Ginny looked doubtful but continued anyway. "Ron," Ginny sighed, "well, Ron still lives at home with Dad, but I don't think they ever really talk. He buries himself in his work at the Ministry, and doesn't talk to anyone who knew him while he was at school. To be honest, he makes a lifestyle of avoiding you. Actually, he'd probably be really peeved with me if he knew I was talking to you like this."

"Nah, he'd just come and kill me with his bare hands," Harry said bitterly. "What about your life?" he asked quietly.

"I was Head Girl at Hogwarts and I graduated with the best marks in my class, but I have no real friends anymore and the thought of living at home again scared me so badly I begged Ron to help me find a job," Ginny said softly.

"How is it that we all came out of the war such big losers?" Harry asked.

"Because we all forgot about what was important in life," Ginny replied softly. She sat up and looked at Harry. "Why didn't you try and fix things with Ron?"

"I did, but he just wanted things from me I couldn't give him," Harry answered sadly.

"He'd eventually accept you and Hermione if you'd just admit it to him," Ginny said.

Harry looked at her sharply. "It's comments like that that keep us from being friends again. The situation is in Ron's hands."

"I'll never understand you, Harry," Ginny said as she stood up from the ground. "The rest of the team was going to get to go home this weekend since everyone's spirits seem to be so low, but your punishment will be that you'll be under house arrest. You can keep Tank's room if it's so important to you, but if I ever catch you leaving the manor during the middle of the night again you'll be kicked off the team, no questions asked."

"But," Harry protested.

"End of conversation. Now go eat something and get some rest before practice. I don't want you falling asleep on the pitch again," Ginny said as she went back up to her room. _"What are you still hiding, Harry?"_

_

* * *

_

Ginny had just finished assuring Dobby that Harry was fine when the team came back in from practice. Unlike the two days before, they were all smiling and laughing. "So can I assume you all had your first official good practice?" she asked.

"You can," Jeff answered with a grin.

"I don't know what you said to those three this morning, but I think it definitely had an impact on their playing," MJ added.

"I don't remember what I said exactly, but I think it had something to do with threatening their lives," Ginny mused.

"All I know is that I don't want to be on the receiving end of that ever again," Jacob said as he shuddered involuntarily.

"If you thought that was impressive, you should have heard her mum in action," Harry said with a grin. "I think her howlers were the most feared thing at Hogwarts."

"Oh, I remember hearing Charlie getting one of those after he got detention for something," MJ said thoughtfully. "I had never seen him so afraid of anything."

"I heard about some of the ones that Fred and George received," Jacob said.

"Merlin, those two could get in trouble," Ginny commented. "But they were always brilliant; I think that's why Mum got so frustrated with them."

"Bill was brilliant, too," Tank said quietly.

"You never mentioned that you knew Bill," Ginny said, surprised.

"I didn't know how painful talking about him would be for you. We overlapped at school a little bit. He was still young when I left, but I always knew that he was meant to do great things," Tank replied. Ginny felt her eyes fill with tears.

"He did do great things; without him, Voldemort would still be here and I'd most likely be dead," Harry added gently.

"I know," Ginny said as she wiped her eyes.

"Okay, no offense, but this is getting a little depressing," Dustin said. 'What I want to know is why when Potter here was supposed to be getting yelled at we all heard laughing."

"Well, Harry was nice enough to mention the fact that he thought I was channeling my mum," Ginny answered.

"Well, the lecture was almost identical to one I'd already heard, even if it wasn't directed towards me the first time," Harry said.

"What happened?" Wesley asked.

"Well, you see, my aunt and uncle were mad at me because a house elf named Dobby ruined one of their dinner parties," Harry said with a grin. "But of course they said it was entirely my fault, so they locked me in my room, put bars on my window, and told me I wouldn't be allowed to go back to Hogwarts."

"They locked you in your room? For how long?" Jacob asked.

"I think two or three days that time," Harry replied thoughtfully. "They put a flap on my door to slide food in occasionally and let me out to use the loo every so often. Anyway a couple of days later I was in bed when I heard this noise coming from outside my window. Apparently, Ron had gotten worried when he hadn't heard from me all summer."

"Why didn't you write him all summer?" Jeff interrupted.

"I wasn't allowed to let my owl out of her cage. Besides, Dobby had been intercepting all my mail all summer long so I didn't think he had been writing me," Harry explained patiently. "Anyway, I got out of bed and I about passed out when I saw Ron, Fred, and George sitting in a flying car outside my window. They said they had come to rescue me. Fred and George picked the lock on my room so they could get all my stuff, and we barely made it out of there before my uncle could grab me and make me stay."

"Oh, I can just see Fred and George doing it now," MJ said laughing.

"Well, when we got back to their house they thought that they had made it back without their mum noticing they were missing, but boy were they wrong. Mrs. Weasley managed to yell at them while making me feel at home all at the same time." Harry grinned at Ginny. "Although I have to say that one of my favorite parts of that day happened once she had finally stopped yelling."

"We've already heard that part of the story, Harry," Ginny said as she rolled her eyes.

"And then," Harry continued anyway, "this cute little red haired thing appeared on the stairs, completely freaked out, and then ran back up to her bedroom. Her brothers assured me that she was normally very talkative, and I have to say that I eventually found out that they were right." Everyone started laughing again. "Apparently, she had a bit of a crush on me."

"Yes, before I found out what a big head he had," Ginny added sweetly. She didn't mind his teasing though; she was just happy to hear him talking and laughing with the other guys. "Why don't you all go get cleaned up for dinner. Even though they were up late last night, the house elves had prepared another wonderful meal."

After dinner everyone gathered in the living room. "So what's on the agenda for tonight, Ginny?" Tank asked.

"Well, I've got letters for all of you from home, and you can give me any letters you want sent out," Ginny said. "This press conference is after breakfast tomorrow, and then you're all excused until Sunday afternoon. Other than Harry, of course. He'll be staying here by himself."

"Sorry, mate," MJ said sympathetically.

"Oh, I'm sure I won't be by myself," Harry said with a shrug.

"Well, none of us will be here. I'm going home for Dad's birthday, so you're on your own," Ginny replied.

"Ginny, how long have you known me?" Harry asked.

"It feels like all my life," Ginny replied dramatically.

"And have you ever known of a time when the Ministry or the Order didn't have someone keeping guard over me?" Harry asked.

"Well, no…"

"I guarantee you that as soon as Minister Bones finds out I'm supposed to be here by myself this weekend, she'll have at least one person here to stay with me. I just hope for your sake that your punishment doesn't back fire and she makes you stay," Harry said with a grin. "Not that I really had anywhere to go, anyway."

"Which is why you've been leaving every night?" Ginny asked innocently.

Noticing the building tension, Dustin spoke up. "Didn't you say you had letters for us?"

"Right, of course," Ginny said. She passed out the many letters she had until she noticed that there was only one for Harry. She looked at it carefully before she handed it to him. Something about the handwriting seemed familiar, but it wasn't Hermione's small, tidy writing.

"Are you going to let me have my letter?" Harry asked patiently.

"Sorry," Ginny muttered. "Would it be too much for you to tell me who it was from?"

"Yep."

"Fine. Does anybody have news from home they'd like to share?" Ginny asked, turning her attention back to the rest of the group. She noticed that Tank was grinning broadly. "Tank, maybe…"

"Marissa's pregnant. I'm just glad that this is my last season of Quidditch," Tank said happily.

"WHAT?" Wesley, Jeff, Jacob, Dustin, and MJ all exclaimed.

"Did I forget to mention that I was deciding to go into early retirement after the cup?" Tank asked innocently.

"I don't remember you ever mentioning that," Dustin said angrily.

"Must have slipped my mind…" Tank said. "But I'm getting old, I can't keep up with the new younger players, and I want to spend time with my kids. I've made plenty of money to take off at least a year without working at all, and after that I'll figure something out that's a little safer and will let me be at home more."

"You know what this means, don't you?" MJ asked. "Losing is no longer an option. We have to make sure our brilliant captain goes out in style."

"Here, here!" Jeff called.

"Well that wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I asked for news from home, but it'll work," Ginny said with a grin. "Can anybody top that?"

"I don't think that's going to be topped," Wesley said.

"Alright, well then I think we've been bonding tonight without any formal structure," Ginny started.

"Yeah, Harry shared something with us without being threatened!" Jeff teased. Harry looked upset for a minute but then laughed with the rest of the team.

"As I was saying," Ginny began again, "You're on your own for the rest of the night. We'll be traveling by floo to the Ministry tomorrow, so get a good night's sleep." Ginny stopped and looked at Harry. "And under no circumstances is anyone to leave the manor. I'm going to assign a house elf to each of your rooms, so if there's anything you need at any point during the night all you'll have to do is ask. There isn't one reason why anyone should need to leave. Now, I'm going upstairs in about an hour, so if anyone has a letter they want sent out, you should give it to me before then."

An hour later, Ginny had at least one letter from the entire team. She went up to her bedroom and quickly looked for Harry's letter; she was dying to know who he was writing to. She groaned when she saw that the letter had been charmed so only owls could read the address. _"Who is it that knows your secrets, Harry?"_

* * *

_A/N Well that's one more chapter down. I must say, I feel like I've come a long way from my first two stories. While I still enjoy the plots from those, they weren't written to the best of my capability. Thanks as always for all of your kind words, I'm struggling to prepare for exams right now, and working on this story and reading reviews is just about that highlight of my day. Coming up next: the press conference from hell!_


	6. The Press Conference

A/N Okay, sorry guys but the horizontal rule line isn't working. Hopefully no one will be too confused when I skip a ahead in time... There's only one big jump. This chapter is dedicated to all of the people who cared enough about my stories to put me on author alert!

Ginny woke up the next morning with butterflies in her stomach. Dealing with the team on a day to day basis wasn't that hard; they were a great group of guys and with one exception they did what she asked, but today she would have to control the press. The press who would most likely hound the team in ways she didn't want them to. She could only pray that the guys would be able to keep control of their tempers if things got ugly.

Ginny rolled out of bed and quickly got ready for the day. She was too nervous to eat so she sat in the living room, waiting for the guys to come downstairs. They slowly appeared, each showing various degrees of nervousness. Harry was the last one down the stairs, and Ginny couldn't help but notice that it looked like he hadn't slept a wink the night before. He was probably the only person in the house more nervous than she was. When Harry sat down, Ginny addressed the group.

"We have to leave for the Ministry in an hour. As soon as we're done in here I suggest you all eat something, no matter how sick you feel. Trust me, you'll feel worse if you don't eat anything." Ginny couldn't help but notice that Jacob pulled a hand to his stomach. "Now, I'm not going to lie; things could get very ugly today. If the press comes in wanting to paint an ugly picture of this team, they're going to do everything in their power to. The most important thing is not to lose your temper. If things start to get ugly, then let Mr. Perry or myself handle it. I'd rather end the press conference early than have to stop a fight between one of you and a reporter."

"I think we can all keep our tempers in check," Tank assured her.

"I hope so," Ginny replied. "The other important thing to remember is to stay positive. I'm not saying that you have to lie, but try and keep things happy."

"So instead of saying that practice this week has been horrible, say something like it's amazing how far we've come in such a short period of time," Dustin suggested.

"Exactly," Ginny said with a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you guys seem to know how to handle yourselves." Ginny turned her attention to Harry. "You know they're going to be hardest on you."

"I know," Harry replied.

"You can't let them get to you," she added.

"I know."

"They've all been told that this is strictly about the team, but you know how well they listen," Ginny said. "You'll just have to trust me to take care of it if they get too out of hand."

"I will."

"Good. Now all of you go eat," Ginny said, forcing a smile.

"Well, Miss Weasley, shouldn't you be following your own advice?" Jeff asked.

Ginny looked at them sheepishly. "I guess so." She followed then into the kitchen and started eating an apple. A few bites in she felt the apple wanting to make a second appearance, so she focused on drinking a glass of water. After about thirty minutes of eating in silence, everyone appeared to be done.

"Now what?" Wesley asked.

"Now we have thirty minutes to let our nerves get to us before we have to go," Ginny answered with a groan.

"Can't we just go early?" Jacob asked.

"We'll be early if we leave in thirty minutes. When we get there I'm leaving you all in Mr. Perry's hands and I'm going to go start trying to corral the reporters. The good news is that once we finish we're coming back here so you guys can gather your things and then head home. The bad news is Mason called practice for Sunday night, so you really will have to be back before lunchtime."

"When did that happen?" MJ asked.

"Sometime last night. Mason, Mr. Perry, and I all have a copy of your schedule. When you add an event on one it shows up on all three," Ginny informed them.

"So, does that mean you can take off Sunday's practice?" MJ asked hopefully.

"Sorry, but no. An event can only be taken off from the calendar it was originally written on," Ginny replied. "But don't worry, I have to be here before you, and I was looking forward to my weekend."

"Why, do you have a hot date?" Tank asked.

"Oh yes; spending time with my dad and brothers. I haven't had a real date in over a year," Ginny said.

"Were the guys at your school blind?" Jeff asked incredulously, shooting Harry a look.

"Hey, don't look at me!" Harry exclaimed. "I did take her out on a date!" As soon as the words left his lips his eyes grew wide and he covered his mouth with his hand.

"Somehow, you both left that little detail out of your life stories," MJ said grinning.

Ginny tried not to lose her cool. "It was nothing to talk about. We went out once, got in a fight, and ended the date by battling Death Eaters."

"Wow, Potter, you sure now how to show a girl a good time," Dustin teased.

Ginny was desperate to regain control of the situation. "Okay, I think it's time to go. We'll be using the fireplace one at a time. Tank, you can go first, just say, 'Conference Room Three, Ministry of Magic.'" Tank nodded and they all began to file into the living room. When everyone had left but Harry and Ginny, Harry grabbed her arm.

"I know our date didn't go well, and it really was my fault," Harry said quietly, not able to look Ginny in the eyes. "Every day then was an emotional rollercoaster, and something just snapped. I guess I was trying to pick a fight. You didn't deserve that and I'm sorry."

Ginny was shocked at his openness. "It's okay."

"No, it's not. We never really talked after that. Things became rough between Ron and me, and I never blamed you for sticking by his side. It just shouldn't have taken me a year to apologize." Ginny's jaw dropped. Of all the things she had expected him to say, that had to be at the very bottom of the list. "And I never got to thank you for protecting me. You never got any credit; but if it weren't for you I probably would have been kidnapped and killed. The whole outcome of the war could have been changed." Now that was definitely at the very bottom of the list of things Ginny expected Harry to say. She just stood there gaping at him. He quickly stepped into the fireplace and left for the Ministry.

A few minutes later Ginny had recovered from the shock of Harry's words. She still hadn't completely digested everything he had said. What did he mean; she had stuck by Ron's side? Hermione had dumped Ron to be with Harry, why would Harry have even wanted to talk her? Ginny pushed the thoughts out of her head and tried to focus on the press conference she was about to conduct. _"I just wish I knew what was going through your head, Harry."_

Forty-five minutes later, Ginny was sitting alone in her office, trying to gather the last bit of her strength before she was fed to the sharks. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was startled when she heard a knock on the door.

"Ready?" Mr. Perry asked.

Ginny looked at him, surprised. "Who's with the team?"

"Your brother, why?"

"That may not have been the best idea," Ginny said with a groan. "He and Harry don't exactly get along."

Mr. Perry looked startled. "I didn't realize. I guess I should make sure they don't kill each other while you go make sure that the reporters don't want to kill them."

"Alright." Ginny stayed in her office a few minutes longer after Mr. Perry left. She prayed that Ron hadn't tried to start anything with Harry; she didn't want to have to explain to reporters why their star seeker had a black eye. She slowly walked to the conference room and went in the back entrance. She was shocked to see the room filled, wall to wall. She took a deep breath and walked over to the podium that was beside a table with seven chairs.

"Good morning," she said to the noisy crowd. The reporters all stopped talking and focused their attention on her. "The team will be out in just a few minutes, but before we start I want to make sure you're all aware of the ground rules. The questions are to stay on the topic of Quidditch and the team. If at any time I feel the questioning is getting too far off topic I will end the press conference on the spot. You are allowed to ask general questions to the whole team, or individual questions." Ginny heard the back door open and she saw Mr. Perry nod at her. "Without any further ado, may I present to you the English National Team!" The reporters applauded and the team filed in, each taking their seats at the long table. Ginny hoped that Jacob wouldn't be asked any questions individually, he looked like he was about to pass out.

Mr. Perry walked over and stood beside Ginny. He pointed to a reporter. "Alright, why don't you get things started?"

The reporter stood up. "How is the dynamic of the team?"

"I think we're all getting along well," MJ answered automatically. "I think that living together at the training camp really helped expedite the team bonding process."

Mr. Perry pointed to another reporter who stood up as the other sat down. "Mr. Potter, do you enjoy fame? Is that why you decided to try out for the national team?"

Ginny saw Harry's face pale slightly before he spoke. "Actually, the fame is the reason I almost didn't tryout. I just love playing the game."

Another reporter was called on. "How do you feel about the team's chances of winning the World Cup?"

Dustin grinned and spoke up. "I think that if the team continues to progress at the same rate we have a great chance of taking it all."

The next reporter stood up to ask their question. "Mr. Thompkins, how do you feel about captaining this team?"

"It's brilliant! I love all of these guys, and they're making my last season special. I actually plan on retiring after the World Cup," Tank answered. An excited murmur ran through the crowd.

"Mr. Potter, if you don't like the fame, why don't you just play Quidditch for fun?" the next reporter asked.

"I don't know," Harry answered slowly. "I think it's everyone's dream to make a living doing something they love." Ginny could tell Harry was starting to get annoyed.

"Mr. Potter, do you feel like you are neglecting your obligation to the wizarding world by playing a game while there are still Death Eaters and dark wizards roaming the country?" the next reported asked.

"Excuse me?" Harry said.

"As the person who defeated the darkest wizard of our time, aren't you wasting your time and abilities when the world needs you?" the reporter continued. Harry looked at Ginny helplessly.

"Alright," Ginny called, but the crowd ignored her.

Trying to get in on the action before things ended, another reporter quickly stood up. "Is it true that you were denied entrance into the Auror training program because you had a drinking problem?"

"No!" Harry exclaimed. "I got into the program but chose not to pursue that career path!"

"So you willingly sentenced all of the muggles and wizards who are still being killed to death?"

"No!" Harry cried, his jaw dropping.

"Enough!" Ginny yelled. "Well, this press conference is officially over. You can all thank your friends over there for breaking the rules." Ginny began to leave the room and motioned for the rest of the team to follow her, leaving Mr. Perry behind to deal with the angry reporters.

Ginny took the team to one of the employee lounges, and they all collapsed into chairs. Ginny couldn't help but notice that Harry looked like he had seen death. She walked over to where he was sitting and sat down beside him.

"Hey," she said gently, "Are you okay?" Harry kept staring blankly at the wall in front of him, not responding. "They were just trying to stir up trouble; you can't blame yourself for the things they said."

"I thought it was over," Harry said quietly.

Ginny reached over and took Harry's chin in her hands. She turned his face so he had to look at her. "Listen to me; your part in all of this is over. You just have to remember that the prophecy isn't common knowledge; the general public doesn't know that your purpose was to defeat Voldemort, not to bring peace to the world. You have done more than anyone else, and you deserve to enjoy yourself and have fun. People who weren't involved in the war like we were can't understand everything that happened. But you need to know that those of us who were there and those of us who know you just want you to be happy." Someone clearing their throat reminded Ginny that she had an audience for her little speech, but she didn't care when she saw the gratitude in Harry's eyes.

"Mr. Perry wants Tank and Dustin to go back and answer a few more questions. He said the rest of you should go back to the Manor," Ron said coolly.

Ginny turned around to see her brother standing in the doorway. By the look on his face, she could tell he had probably witnessed her speech as well. "Thanks, Ron," she said quietly. "Alright guys, let's go. I'm sure after that you're all ready to go home."

As they made their way to the closest connection to the floo network, Ginny heard Jacob speak up. "Are all press conferences like that?" he asked nervously.

"Only the ones where I'm involved," Harry replied bitterly.

Ginny was busy cleaning up the kitchen after her family's dinner, trying her hardest to keep her thoughts away from Harry and the press conference. She didn't know how people could be so cruel to the person that saved all their lives. It didn't help the situation that Ron had barely spoken to her since they had arrived back at the Burrow.

They were trying to celebrate their dad's birthday, but Ginny thought she might explode if the tension in the house wasn't released soon. Fred and George spent most of dinner talking only to each other making lame jokes, while Charlie tried to talk to their dad about his latest problems in the Care of Magical Creatures Department at the Ministry, and Ron had listened to everyone's conversations without saying much of anything. Normally, Charlie would bring Tonks with him to family gatherings (they had been dating since the end of the war) and she would keep things interesting, but Charlie said that she had been called in for a last minute assignment. They were all sitting in silence in the living room, which was why Ginny had volunteered to clean up the kitchen; she had to get away from them.

"Hey."

Ginny was startled to hear Ron's voice. "Hey," she replied, keeping her attention on the dishes in front of her.

"That was some zoo today, wasn't it?"

"I had a feeling things would get bad, but I never expected that," Ginny replied truthfully.

"You two looked mighty chummy afterwards," Ron said dryly.

Ginny turned around and glared at her brother. "It's my job to make sure the team is okay; he's a part of the team and he wasn't okay."

"Looked like he was more than just a part of the team," Ron said.

"Oh come off it, Ron. Yes, we've been spending a lot of time together and yes, I've missed his friendship. But more than that, I feel sorry for him. He's pretty much all alone…"

"He's got Hermione," Ron interrupted.

"I'm not so sure anymore. He said that he hasn't spoken to her in a month, and that they're rarely at their flat at the same time," Ginny said defensively.

"So you're an expert on his life now."

Ginny threw up her hands in frustration. "No, I'm just being his friend. You know he was right about us, we really weren't very good friends. All this time I've stayed away from him because of something you said, but you've never even had the decency to explain to me what exactly happened that upset you so much. I'm not even sure if Harry is dating Hermione anymore!"

"What about all of the articles?" Ron asked angrily.

"After you saw, firsthand, what the reporters did to him today, can you really believe anything you read?" Ginny asked.

Ron looked down at the floor sheepishly. "When I went to try and talk things out like Dad wanted, she was there with him. They were holding hands and I heard them say I love you. She leaned over and kissed him, and I just lost it. I was yelling at them, and I said some things I didn't mean, but I was hurt. Just seeing them together like that was too much for me…"

"I didn't know," Ginny said softly. She paused for a moment before speaking up again. "Seeing them together that first night hurt me too, but I'm getting over it. He needs a friend right now, and I'm going to be there for him. He really didn't do anything to me, and I can't hold what he did to you against him anymore."

"I just wish you would keep your relationship professional," Ron said.

"I wish I could, but it's not easy to keep things strictly professional with any of the guys," Ginny replied. "He and I still fight all the time, but I think we've also come to an understanding of sorts. I think he wants to move past our history, and to be honest, I want to, too. I'm tired of living in the past. Mum wouldn't have wanted us to."

"I'm not ready to accept him back into our lives."

"I'm not asking you to. All I'm asking is that you understand that I am."

Ron sighed. "We should get back to everyone."

"I know." Ginny put away the last of the freshly clean dishes and walked towards the living room.

"Ginny?" Ron asked before they could get out of the kitchen.

"Yeah?"

"Just don't go and get your silly crush again. I don't want him to hurt us anymore, and Hermione doesn't deserve to be cheated on," Ron said.

"Don't be silly, Ron. I'm past all of that now."

A/N Okay, first of all, I realized something this week. So many of you seemed to be going crazy not knowing things, but the two people who read my story before I post it weren't. I realized that the reason is because they first read the back story so they know what's really going on. Don't worry, you'll find out a lot soon. The next chapter shows you the actual Ron/Harry fight. The bad news is I've written through chapter 11 and Ginny still doesn't know everything. As to Ginny's actualy job, well it's something you're just going to have to accept. My logic, though, is that since the poor performance in the last world cup they want to do everything in their power to make the team great. They consider a lack of outside distractions and a family like team to be two of those things. Anyway, as always thanks for your reviews! I start exams tomorrow, and then by next Tuesday I'm done until January. So hopefully I'll geta lot of writing done then. Thanks again!


	7. Secrets

_The Day After Voldemort's Defeat_

_Ron Weasley fumed as he made his way to the hospital wing. The last few days had been an emotional rollercoaster. He had discovered his best friend in bed with his girlfriend, and listened helplessly when she said she didn't love him anymore. His heart had been broken by his first love; she had thrown away their relationship like it was yesterday's paper. He felt betrayed by his best friend who had taken his place, roaming about with said ex-girlfriend. He was destroyed from witnessing the deaths of his eldest brother and mother. He was trying so hard to keep everything in to be strong for his family, but he didn't know how much longer he could take it. It was only at his father's insistence that he was going to the hospital wing to try and patch things up with Harry. He knew that Harry had lost as much as anybody, if not more, but he couldn't help feeling resentment towards him because of the Hermione situation._

_When Ron reached the hospital wing, his last few strands of sanity broke. He saw Hermione sitting next to Harry's bed, clasping his hand. He heard the words 'I love you' leave Harry's lips. He saw Hermione kiss him and repeat those same three damning words. It was like watching a train wreck; he didn't want to look but he couldn't turn away. He was going to turn and leave when he heard Harry call out his name._

"_Ron, I'm so glad you came," Harry said quietly._

"_Why? So you could flaunt your new relationship in front of me?" Ron asked angrily. Harry's face paled. "Or maybe this isn't so new. How long has this been going on?"_

"_Ron, it's not like it looks," Hermione said calmly._

"_So you didn't just profess your love for each other?" Ron snapped._

"_Not like you think," Harry began, but Ron cut him off._

"_How could you do this to me? All this time, lying to me about your interest in my sister so I wouldn't notice that you were going after my girlfriend?"_

"_Ron…"_

"_SHUT UP!" Ron screamed. "I don't want to hear another word out of your murdering mouth! Nothing but evil has come to my family since you entered our lives. You're the reason that Percy died without having spoken to his family in almost two years, and you're the reason Bill died; it was you who killed my mum, not some Death Eater. In fact, that's why I came here today; to tell you how much my family hates you." Silent tears fell down Harry's face as Ron's words cut through him like a knife. Ron's voice went from being loud and full of hurt to quiet and cold. "You've ruined my life. I hate you. If you ever come near me or my family again, I'll kill you with my bare hands." Ron turned around and left the hospital wing with Hermione hot on his heels. When they reached the hall, Hermione grabbed his arm and pulled him so he had to look in her eyes._

"_Ronald Weasley, I am ashamed of you!" she screamed. "You've just succeeded in completely destroying what was left of your best friend in the entire world."_

"_Good," Ron answered calmly. "Now he knows how it feels." Hermione gaped at him. Ron grabbed Hermione by the shoulders and shook her. "Tell me you didn't break up with me for him!"_

"_I didn't," Hermione insisted, for the first time in her life fearing the man before her._

_Ron released his grasp on her and his voice softened. "Then why?" Hermione looked to the ground. She couldn't find the words. "Just like I thought." Ron turned around and walked away, leaving Hermione crying alone in the hall._

_...horizontal line still not working.........._

The rest of the weekend was a blur to Ginny. She and Ron were the only two in the Burrow with their dad after the Friday night dinner, and although they had reached an understanding on the Harry situation, things were still a little tense. To say that Ginny was looking forward to returning to the manor would have been an understatement.

When Ginny arrived back at the place she was coming to regard as home, she was surprised to see Harry sitting in the living room reading a book, looking well-rested.

"Hello," she said with a smile.

"How was your weekend?" Harry asked, looking up from his book.

"Awkward and uncomfortable," Ginny replied bluntly.

"Was Ron upset with you?"

Ginny sighed. "We talked and reached an understanding of sorts."

"Did you try and make things like they used to be?" Harry asked.

"Well, no," Ginny said, somewhat surprised.

"If you don't try, how are things ever going to get better?" Harry asked.

"I guess they're not…" Ginny looked at Harry and tried to figure out when he had grown up. "Is that what you're doing with Ron? Trying?"

"Touché," Harry replied with a grin. "Although I did try before, but Ron wasn't having any part of it. In fact, neither were you for that matter."

Ginny was startled and decided to change the subject. "How was your weekend?"

"Fine. My guard and I did some redecorating in my room, we played some games, and I flew a bit," Harry answered. "Actually, I had a lot of fun."

"Was your guard anyone I'd know?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not supposed to say who it was. Something about it putting them in danger," Harry said. "But it was one of the Order members."

"Well, I don't think Snape would have played games with you," Ginny mused. "And I know it wasn't anyone from my family." Ginny looked at Harry and suddenly it dawned on her. "It was Tonks! She got called away for an assignment and had to miss dinner!"

"I'll never tell," Harry replied playfully.

"You don't have to, I figured it out!" Ginny said triumphantly.

"Maybe…"

"Oh, I know I did," Ginny said.

"Whatever," Harry said as he rolled his eyes. "So, that must have been some talk with Ron."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked.

"Well, you're talking to me like you don't hate me. I didn't think that was possible," Harry replied with a shrug.

Ginny was about to argue with him but stopped to think about what he said. It was true, before this weekend, she had held a certain amount of bitterness towards him. Even when they had been getting along, somewhere deep down she was resentful of what he had done to Ron. "You're right," she said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be, I didn't expect anything else. When you sent my letters back unopened, I knew that the damage ran pretty deep. Honestly I'm more surprised that the resentment isn't there now than I was that it was there before," Harry said quickly.

"Again, I'm sorry…" Ginny's voice trailed off as she realized exactly what Harry had said. "I didn't get any letters!" she exclaimed.

"I sent you and Ron letters everyday for a week right after graduation!" Harry cried. "And everyday when I got home they were waiting there for me!"

"I never got any letters! Maybe Hedwig messed up!"

"Ginny, listen to yourself; Hedwig mess up?" Harry said calmly. "No, there's a reasonable explanation for this. Ron got the letters and sent them back. His first letter was the only one that had been opened."

Ginny's face turned red in her anger. "How dare he decide whether or not I get your letters!"

"He was hurt, he still is hurt. He just wants answers for me that I can't give him, and he's too proud to go to Hermione with the questions," Harry replied.

"How can you stay so calm?" Ginny yelled.

"I've had a lot of time to think about it."

"Well, it's not normal to be so calm!" Ginny yelled. "In fact, your calmness is annoying me! I mean, my idiotic brother kept your letters from me to ensure that I would stay mad at you with him!"

But before Harry could respond, MJ and Wesley walked into the room. "Well, well. What do we have here?" MJ said slyly. "A lover's spat

"No!" Ginny exclaimed, still furious. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "We were just discussing my brother."

"Which one?" Wesley asked.

"Ron," Ginny said.

"He seemed to be an okay bloke at the press conference," MJ said.

"He is most of the time," Ginny replied. "He just thinks he knows what's best for everyone and doesn't bother to see what everyone else wants."

"What?" Wesley asked.

Ginny shook her head. "Never mind. Why don't you guys go get settled back in. Lunch should be ready in like thirty minutes. Hopefully, everyone will be back by then."

Ginny walked up the stairs to her own room and threw herself down on her bed. She was caught between wanting to cry and wanting to strangle Ron. She couldn't comprehend how Harry had been so calm about the whole situation. She really couldn't believe how he'd been so nice to her, apologizing for everything when he thought that she hadn't even acknowledged his prior attempts at explaining himself. It was only then that Ginny realized that Harry never had actually explained himself; she still didn't have the answers she desperately wanted. If only Ron hadn't sent her letters back! Ginny groaned and got out of bed. She knew that it would probably be a long time before she got Harry alone and talking openly again. She headed back downstairs and found Tank, Jacob, Dustin, and Harry sitting talking in the living room.

"Hello, Ginny," Jacob called.

"Hello," she answered in what she hoped was a cheerful voice. "Did you all have a nice weekend?"

"It was too short," Tank said. "I'm going to miss all of the morning sickness and stuff like that this time."

"You're actually going to miss it?" Dustin asked chuckling.

"Oh, just wait until you have kids, Jake," Tank said happily. "The morning sickness, the mood swings, it's great!"

"Well, you should be used to the mood swings after living with Potter," MJ teased as he, Jeff, and Wesley walked back down the stairs.

"Hey!" Harry cried as he threw a pillow at MJ. "I'm not that bad!"

"No, I think you may be worse than a pregnant woman," Wesley said seriously. "At least they're good for something." Wesley winked at Ginny suggestively.

"Okay, that's enough of that!" Ginny said laughing. "Let's go eat lunch before you lot destroy my innocence." Ginny batted her eyes and put her hands over her chest.

"Who said you were innocent?" Harry asked.

"Hey!" Ginny cried.

"He's right, you know," Tank said. "I don't think anyone could grow up with Fred and George and still call themselves innocent."

"Too true," Ginny said with a grin. "Now can we please eat?"

_ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ_

Ginny was sitting in the living room reading. The team had been out at practice for an hour, and it had just started to rain. She had conjured up towels for the team, unsure if practice would be called off because of the weather. She should have known that Mason would want to make them practice even longer in the bad weather. It was almost two hours later when the team came back inside, dripping wet. They immediately went for the towels waiting for them by the door.

"Thanks," Jeff said as he stripped off his muddy Quidditch robes.

"Yeah, very thoughtful," Tank said as he followed Jeff's example. Soon Ginny was in a room with seven wet, dirty, partially dressed Quidditch players. She noticed that Jacob was holding his neck.

"Are you okay, Jacob?" she asked.

"Yeah, just a little sore from a run in with a bludger," he replied. Ginny shot MJ a dirty look.

"Hey! It's our job to try and hit players with the bludgers," MJ said defensively.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Ginny said. "Do you need to go to St. Mungo's?"

"No, I'm fine, just a little sore,' Jacob assured her.

"At least let me look at it," Ginny insisted. Jacob walked over to where Ginny was sitting and sat down on the ground in front of her. After Ginny was certain there wasn't any permanent damage she began to massage Jacob's neck and shoulders.

"Hey MJ, hit me with a bludger next practice," Tank teased. "I like the looks of that treatment."

Jacob turned bright red and quickly pulled away from Ginny. "I feel better now," he said quickly.

"Good," she replied with a chuckle. She noticed that Harry had transfigured his towel into a robe. "Well, somebody was thinking."

"Potter, will you do mine?" Wesley asked sweetly. Harry pulled out his wand and turned Wesley's towel into bright pink, fluffy bathrobe. "Thanks a lot," Wesley muttered, causing everyone else to crack up.

"Anyone else?" Harry asked.

"No thanks," Jeff answered. "I'm just going to go grab a shower."

"Me too," Tank answered. All of the guys eyed one another, and before Ginny could say anything they were all running up the stairs, fighting to get into the bathrooms first; everyone but Harry.

"Don't you care about being clean?" Ginny asked him.

"Well, when I got Tank's room, I got my own bathroom," Harry explained with a grin.

"Ahh. You still never really said why you wanted your own room," Ginny said.

"I know," Harry replied.

"So are you going to?"

"Nope," Harry answered.

"Will you tell me what the letters said?" Ginny asked.

"This isn't the time or the place," Harry said quietly.

"So, when is the right time and place?" Ginny asked, her voice level rising. She could feel her anger from earlier in the day returning.

"I don't know."

"You just know it's not right now!" By now Ginny was yelling at him. Her desire for answers was clouding her normal good judgment. "Why do you feel it's so important to keep secrets from everyone?"

Harry's face flushed. "Did it ever occur to you that knowing my secrets put people in danger? Or maybe that the secrets I have aren't mine to tell? Or that I couldn't tell you my secrets even if I wanted to?" Harry yelled.

"That wasn't a problem in the past," Ginny yelled back.

"And look how well that turned out!" Harry turned and ran up the stairs, almost knocking Tank down on the way. Ginny collapsed on the couch and angrily stared at the ceiling.

"You okay?" Tank asked, sitting down beside her.

"Fine," Ginny replied.

"You're not a very good liar."

Ginny couldn't help but smile. "Actually, I really am. Just not when I'm this emotional."

"So you'll at least admit you're emotional," Tank said.

"I don't think any kind of lie could hide that."

"You two really need to settle things. I thought you two had reached some kind of an understanding," Tank said.

"We did, but then I found out some things. I have so many questions and he just refuses to answer me," Ginny said. "If I could just find out why he did some of the things he did, it would really help me find closure to everything. It would finally take away some of this pain that has made its home in my chest."

"Did you ever think that maybe talking about it hurts him?" Tank asked. "Maybe he's been able to find closure, and you wanting to bring it up again is really painful for him?"

"How'd you get to be so smart?" Ginny asked.

"Lots of life experience. Plus, I'm a dad. I think when your first child is born you automatically increase your knowledge of life."

"Maybe that's what I need to do, have a kid," Ginny replied smiling.

"For some reason, while I think you would be an excellent mum, your dad and brothers would probably want to kill me for putting that idea in your head. You should probably wait until you're in love and married," Tank said.

"Oh, I don't know," Ginny mused. "I think I'll go write them all right now and tell them what you suggested."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Well, I'm going up to my room to get cleaned up for dinner, I guess you'll just have to wait and see if I write them or not," Ginny said playfully. She stuck her tongue out at him and ran up the stairs to her room. When she was gone Dustin came down the stairs.

"Crisis over?" he asked Tank.

"For now," Tank replied with a sigh. "I have half a mind to lock them up in a closet or something until they get things straightened out."

"You know, that's not such a bad idea," Dustin mused. "Although, it may need to be a room bigger than a closet, and you may want to take away their wands first."

Tank grinned at Dustin mischievously. "I think we've got ourselves a plan."

_zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz_

A/N Okay, well while I haven't had a moment to write so far this week, but I couldn't resist posting any longer. I have to say, the next two chapters are my favorites so far, but unfortunately they haven't come back from my beta yet. I most likely won't post before Saturday, but if I haven't heard back from my beta by Sunday I'll get my roommate to look over the next chapter. It's just a busy time of year for everyone! I guess that means I should get back to studying for my next exam… Thanks as always for all of your reviews. I must say I check my mail about 100 times a day right after I post a chapter, lol. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please don't jump down my throat and tell me that Ron would never say those things; he was an emotional wreck and he lost it. Harry and Hermione were just the unfortunate ones to be there when it happened. He knows what he said was wrong, but those Weasleys are known for their stubborn streaks!


	8. Encounters in the Bathroom

_A/N The next two chapters are definitely my favorite so far! I hope you like them as much as I do!_

_

* * *

_

_Two weeks after Graduation_

_Harry sat alone in a bar in muggle London, drowning his sorrows in alcohol. The vodka wasn't as efficient as the Firewhiskey he'd consumed before he left his flat that night, but he didn't want to be in a wizarding place. He needed to be alone. He slammed back another shot as the bartender walked over to where he was sitting._

"_Something troubling you, mate?" the bartender asked. Harry glared at him. "Sheesh, I was just asking. I'm going to have to cut you off, though." The bartender walked away as Harry continued to glare at him. Harry dropped his head on the counter top, silently wishing his life away._

"_Wotcher, Harry," a voice called him back to reality. Harry picked up his head long enough to see Tonks before slamming it back against the counter. "You've become a tough bloke to track down," Tonks continued, ignoring Harry's state. "We've been trying to tell you that you were accepted into Auror training, even though you never actually got to finish the application process." Harry's only response was to bang his head again. Tonks kept talking anyway. "I saw Hermione back at your flat. She told me you were living together. She looks bloody awful; like she's been crying all the time and hasn't slept in days."_

"_I'll be sure to tell her you said so," Harry replied sarcastically._

"_Everyone misses you." Harry snorted. "They do! They're all very worried," Tonks insisted. "You know I'm not going to judge you and Hermione if you're in love. You can't help who you fall for."_

_Harry finally picked his head up and looked at Tonks. "But you've already judged me. Why doesn't anyone believe I'd never do that to Ron?"_

"_So tell him!"_

"_I tried! I've written him a letter everyday this week and he hasn't responded. He won't believe me unless I give him a different reason for why Hermione broke up with him. It's not my fault I'm not allowed to tell him that she broke up with him for his own good."_

"_What?" Tonks exclaimed._

"_Says it's for his own bloody happiness. I say it's ruining all of our lives. Well, that and the fact that I'm a murderer."_

"_Hermione got hit with that curse!" Tonks exclaimed, finally putting the pieces together._

"_Bloody hell! I wasn't supposed to tell anyone. Swear you won't say," Harry urged her._

"_I swear, Harry," Tonks said solemnly. "And you're not a murderer. Nobody thinks that."_

"_Yes, they do."_

"_You know I'm seeing Charlie now," Tonks began._

"_Then this is probably the last time I'll be seeing you," Harry interrupted._

"_Come back to the Burrow with me. Get this whole thing worked out before it's too late," she pleaded._

"_I can't face them; too much has happened."_

"_That doesn't matter. They're your family."_

"_No, I'm the reason they lost so much of their family. I can't go with you," Harry said as he dropped his head on the counter again._

"_I'm not going to keep arguing with you, but you're wrong." Tonks paused and sighed. "You should stop drinking so much. And you should help Hermione; she needs you."_

"_I know."_

"_You know, I hear they're trying to get the Quidditch leagues going again this year. They're hoping to have the national leagues going again by next year. They want to give the people something enjoyable to do to take their minds off everything that's happened. I'd say you deserve more than anyone to just do something you enjoy for once, instead of something you feel like you're supposed to do." Harry didn't respond, but Tonks knew her message had sunk in. "Good bye, Harry."_

"_Tonks?" Harry called right before she reached the door._

"_Yeah?"_

"_Will you write me, let me know how everyone is doing? I can't promise that I'll be able to return the letters, but it'd give me peace of mind to know that they're surviving."_

"_Of course, and if you ever want to see a familiar face, I'm an Auror. I can be discreet."_

_

* * *

_

Ginny had just finished getting ready for bed when she heard a knock on her door. She tightened her dressing gown around her waist and opened the door a crack.

"Tank?" she said curiously. None of the guys had ventured to her side of the manor before. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure," Tank said slowly.

"What do you mean, 'you're not sure?'" Ginny asked anxiously. She could feel her heart begin to pound in her chest; what would she do if there was something wrong with one of the guys?

"Well, after you and Harry had that fight he locked himself in his room and we haven't heard anything out of him since. I mean you saw that he wasn't at dinner, but there haven't been any noises coming out of his room at all," Tank explained.

"Well, why are we standing here talking? Let's go!" Ginny hurried out of her room with Tank right behind her. She ran all of the way from her side of the manor to the guys' side. When she reached Harry's room she knocked, first gently, then more insistently when no one answered. "Oh, of all the times to leave my wand behind," she muttered.

Tank smiled. "Allow me. Alohomora!"

The door flew open and Ginny gasped at the site before her. Harry's redecorating had consisted of ridding the room of everything but his bed and his trunk, both of which were securely fastened to the ground. "What the…"

"Well, there's Harry's wand, so he must not be too far," Tank said, pointing to the wand sitting on the bed. "Accio wand!"

"Wait, there's a noise coming from the bathroom," Ginny said. She walked over and gently knocked on the door. She tried the knob and found it unlocked. As soon as she opened the door, she felt herself being pushed through. Before she could realize what was going on the door slammed shut behind her. She tried the knob but found it was now locked.

"Ginny!" Ginny slowly turned around to find herself face to face with Harry with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Ginny worked to tear her eyes off his bare chest, and her face turned bight pink. She first thought that his chest looked muscular and well defined, but then noticed that the definition came from his protruding ribs. She made a mental note to keep better track of his eating habits. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm not exactly sure," Ginny said bitterly. She turned around and pounded on the door. "Tank! Let me out of here!"

She could hear laughter coming from Harry's room. "Sorry, no can do!" Tank called.

"And why not?" Ginny yelled.

"Because if you two don't work out whatever it is that's been bugging you, you're going to kill each other before the World Cup even starts," Tank explained through his chuckles.

"Yeah, and for some strange reason, we're kind of fond of the two of you," MJ added.

"Although, we're not exactly sure why in your case, Potter," Dustin called.

"So when you two work through things, we'll let you out," Wesley finished.

"Well, if you lot would stop sharing a brain and think, you'd realize what a bad idea this is!" Ginny yelled.

"I think you're right, Jeff," Tank said cheerfully. "It is time for a silencing charm. We'll be back to check on your progress in a while."

"Maybe," MJ added. "Silencio!"

"I can't believe them!" Ginny exclaimed. She turned around to face a still mostly naked but very amused looking Harry. "I don't see why you look so happy."

"It's just funny, that's all," Harry said with a shrug. "I'm assuming you don't have your wand."

"No, I left it in my room. Tank took yours, too. I don't know why," Ginny added.

"So, what do we do now?" Harry asked.

"I guess we just get comfortable and talk," Ginny said with a sigh. She wished she had more than just her pajamas and dressing gown on. Both were old and a bit tattered, and even though she knew Harry knew all about her family's financial situation, she couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. She leaned against the wall and slid down so she was sitting on the floor. Harry grabbed another towel from the shelf and sat down on the edge of the tub, putting the second towel across his lap to make sure he was covered. "You said earlier it wasn't the time or the place," Ginny said slowly. "What about now?"

"I meant what I said before about secrets," Harry replied.

"Yes, well, you weren't exactly making sense."

"Since we have nothing but time, let's see if I can explain. As far as I can tell, I have three types of secrets," Harry began. "The first type is those that I'm legally not supposed to tell. I have a lot of secrets that the Ministry won't let me tell anyone but on a strictly need to know basis. For example, who it was that stayed with me this weekend. The worst of the war might be over, but there's still so much going on that the general public doesn't know. If they found out, well let's just say that it would make the press conference look like a picnic."

Ginny looked at him. "Well, I can understand that, but my family is hardly a security threat. We were just as involved as anyone."

"That's just it though; I don't want you guys to have to be involved anymore. Your dad is in no mental condition to get involved in another war. Neither is Charlie, for that matter. And you, Ron, and the twins deserve to have a normal life for a change. You didn't get that when I was in your lives."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "We chose to be involved; it wasn't like you forced us."

"Exactly," Harry said with a sigh.

"Okay, well we're obviously not going to see eye to eye here. Move on to the second kind of secrets," Ginny said.

"Well, those are simple; those are the secrets I keep for other people. The ones that no matter how much I wanted to tell you, I couldn't."

Ginny saw something unrecognizable in Harry's eyes as he said those words. "I can accept that," she said. "Move on to the third type."

Harry looked at the floor. "The third type is my secrets that I don't want to tell you. They're either too painful to talk about, or too dangerous."

"What do you mean, dangerous?" Ginny asked.

"I mean that if people found out you knew they'd want you dead. Like with the prophesy," Harry said quietly.

"Is that what this is about? You're blaming yourself for all of those deaths again?" Ginny asked harshly.

"Well, people died to protect my secrets. Knowing my secrets got people killed," Harry said.

"People wanted to protect your secrets, Harry," Ginny said quietly. "People wanted to protect you. People loved you, Harry."

"People loved the idea of me; they loved the hero."

"I didn't," Ginny replied, her voice almost a whisper. "I loved you for you." Harry shook his head. "This isn't getting us anywhere. All I know now is why you don't want to explain anything and that you tried to once."

"What do you want to know?" Harry asked quietly.

"Why is your room bare?"

Harry shook his head. "That's a Ministry secret. As is why I was leaving at night."

"Why couldn't you have told me that to start with?" Ginny asked, frustrated.

"Because I know you and I knew you wouldn't give up until I told you everything," Harry replied.

"Okay, maybe you're right. Next question: have you ever been romantically involved with Hermione?"

Harry looked up and his eyes met Ginny's. "No," he whispered as he shook his head. Ginny could tell by the look in his eyes that he was telling the truth. She let out a groan in frustration. "What?" he asked, obviously surprised.

"This is what I don't understand," Ginny said angrily. "If all this time you've both been innocent, despite all of the evidence to the contrary, why'd you stay away?"

"Well, after the letters were sent back, I figured you all really didn't want to have anything to do with me. I figured that what Ron said was true," Harry said.

"What did Ron say, Harry?"

"That I as good as killed your mum; that nothing but pain had come to your family since I became a part of it," Harry informed her.

"You stupid git! Didn't you know Ron was just angry; that he didn't mean those things?" Harry shook his head. "Don't you remember that if it wasn't for you, I'd have died my first year? That my dad would have died your fifth year? Harry, you saved our family time and time again. You can't blame yourself that you couldn't do it every time."

"You almost died in the Chamber," Harry said as if he were trying to work something out.

"You know I did," Ginny replied, not seeing the relevance of his statement.

"Do you remember what it was like, almost dying?"

Ginny was startled, but she slowly nodded her head. "It was the most beautiful place I'd ever seen, but at the same time there was nothing special about it. It was like a dream, but I knew it was more than that." She looked at Harry and he nodded in agreement. "I felt so guilty about everything that had happened with Tom that I didn't think anyone would want me alive. I almost killed people; I set a monster out on the school." Ginny paused to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "I wanted to give into the light, to leave this world behind. Then a woman appeared. I couldn't see her face clearly, but she looked like she could have been a part of my family. I don't know, I didn't recognize her, so I guess it wasn't important. She told me that I still had a lot of living to do, that my job on earth wasn't done yet. I tried to argue with her that no one wanted me, but she just told me to listen. And then I heard you. You didn't want me to be dead. When I knew that you wanted me alive, I wanted to live. I tried to go back but I couldn't. The woman told me it wasn't time yet, that I had to wait for you to help me. I know we continued to talk, but I really can't remember what about. The next thing I remember is waking up." She looked at Harry curiously as they sat in silence. "Why did you make me relive that if you aren't going to say anything?"

"When I defeated Voldemort, I almost died. I saw your mum, and I tried to follow her, but she wouldn't let me. That's when Dumbledore showed up. I just wanted to give up, to leave the world. I thought I had fulfilled my destiny; I wanted to be with my parents and Sirius again. But Dumbledore wouldn't let me; he told me that I still had things to live for or something like that. I was afraid that people wouldn't want me anymore; that they would think I was a murderer and blame me."

"That's ridiculous!" Ginny interrupted.

"Funny, I think you just admitted you thought the same thing," Harry replied dryly.

"Oh yeah."

"Anyway, Dumbledore told me to listen like the woman did with you. Hermione was calling me back. Dumbledore said she still needed me, and I knew I had to go back."

Ginny finally realized what the point of this conversation was. "And when you woke up Ron accused you of all the things Dumbledore had tried to convince you weren't true."

"Exactly. When I woke up was when Ron showed up. Whether he meant it or not, all of the things he said were confirming my biggest fears. He called me a murderer and blamed me for your family's losses. I gave it one last try with the letters, but when he sent those back it destroyed me. The reporters were partially right; I did start drinking a lot. I had just moved into a flat with Hermione, she was depressed and wasn't taking care of herself. I spent most of my time in pubs to dry and forget about everything. When I found out I had been accepted into Auror training, it suddenly didn't seem like what I wanted anymore. I just wanted to be happy."

"Sounds familiar," Ginny said.

Harry took a deep breath. "The thing is, in order to do that, I felt like I had to cut most people out. I didn't feel like I could trust anyone, and I didn't want anyone getting hurt because they were close to me. That's why I was glad when Hermione started working and traveling a lot. It put distance between us; it made her safer."

"You can't go through life not trusting people, Harry," Ginny said softly.

"It's the only way I know how to these days. I don't want to let people in; just talking to you like this is hard."

"You've been letting the team in," Ginny pointed out.

"Not like this. They know the tip of my personality; they don't know me," Harry replied.

"You can trust them," Ginny insisted.

"Building up trust takes time," Harry whispered. "But destroying it only takes seconds."

"You're saying you don't trust me anymore. You don't trust me because I didn't believe you when you said you weren't involved with Hermione after Ron and I found you two in bed together. You don't trust me because I didn't seek you out to try and figure out what really happened. You don't trust me because I believed the worst about you instead of believing in you."

"I wish I could trust you, but it's not that simple. I've been hurt too many times in this life," Harry replied softly.

Ginny crawled her way over to where Harry was sitting. She sat on her knees in front of him and looked him in the eyes. "I made the mistake of not believing in you once; I won't do it again." The look in Harry's eyes was raw and passionate, and Ginny was suddenly very aware of their state of undress. She felt herself being drawn towards Harry, and she was unable to stop it. She saw Harry's eyes begin to close and felt her own do the same. She could feel Harry's hot breath against her lips, and she knew that their faces would be touching in an instant. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she felt the slight pressure of his lips against her own. It was sweet, gentle, innocent; it was heaven on earth. To Ginny it represented everything good in the world, everything worth living for. She was scared that if she moved at all the moment would end, but it ended anyway. Harry pulled away from her and motioned for her to be quiet.

"How are you two doing in there?" Tank called through the door.

"I think we've come to an understanding," Harry called back. "If you would be so kind to let us out; I'm a little cold." Laughter could be heard from the other room and the door popped open. "Thanks." Harry walked into his room and threw on his dressing gown. "Since you lot trapped me in a bathroom all night would you at least have the decency to let me get dressed and go to bed?"

"Alright, alright," MJ said. "But tomorrow, we're going to have to have a serious chat about your decorating skills, Potter."

"Good night, MJ," Harry said with a forced smile. When the team had left the room Harry turned his attention to Ginny who was still sitting on the bathroom floor. "I'm sorry, that shouldn't have happened."

Until that moment, Ginny hadn't been aware of how many times one person could break your heart. "I see," she said quietly.

"You have to understand that it's still going to take time for me to trust you again, and if you're honest with yourself, you don't really trust me either," Harry said. "I don't know if we'll ever be in a place again where what just happened is okay, but I do know that things would only end badly if we tried to start something while we didn't trust each other."

Ginny stood up trying to retrieve her ego, and walked into the bedroom. "When did you get to be so smart?"

"When I started living with Hermione."

"I see. Well, good night, Harry." Ginny made her way to the door.

"Ginny?" Harry called.

"Next time we have an off weekend, would you want to come with me to visit Hermione? I think she'd love to see you."

Ginny smiled genuinely. "I'd like that, Harry."

As Ginny walked back towards her bedroom, she swore she could still feel Harry's lips against her own. She was now more frustrated than she had been before she had found out anything about Harry; she still had so many questions she wanted answered. When Ginny reached her bedroom a thought crossed her mind. _"Harry said he had been in love and decided to do something about it during his seventh year…"_

* * *

_A/N I'm almost done with this semester!!! But the bad news is I'm not going to let myself update again until I at least have 3/4 of chapter 12 written. I've been trying to write a chapter before I post a new chapter to keep my cushion, but exams haven't been allowing that. Hopefully it won't be any later than Wednesday. Thanks as always for your reviews, they really brighten my day, especially when I've been studying or taking an exam! Oh yeah, hopefully this clears up the question as to whether or not Harry is gay... _


	9. The Talk

_Day After Voldemort's Defeat_

_Harry opened his eyes sleepily. He didn't know how long he had been asleep, but he felt completely refreshed. In fact, he couldn't think of a time when he had felt more perfect. He looked around the foreign room, amazed at its simple beauty._

"_Where am I?" he asked._

"_You can rest now, Harry; it's done," he heard a soft voice call._

"_What's done?" Harry asked, but the voice didn't answer. Suddenly, the memories came pouring back into his mind; so many people dead, yet he had done it, he had destroyed Voldemort. "Where am I?" he asked again, hoping the owner of the soothing voice would appear. He caught a flash of red in his peripheral vision. "Hello? Is someone there?" He saw the red again and realized it was the back of a woman's head. He hurried after the woman until he finally caught up with her. He reached out to grab hold of her, but his hand went straight through her body. He stood frozen, gaping at the woman when she turned around. "Mrs. Weasley!" Harry exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" But she simply shook her head and continued walking away. Harry began to follow her again when he heard a familiar voice._

"_You can't go with her, Harry," Dumbledore said gently. "It's not yet your time."_

"_Professor Dumbledore, where am I?"_

"_The only thing that matters is that you can't stay. They still need you." It finally dawned on Harry where he was._

"_No, they don't. I fulfilled the prophecy. My purpose in life is done. Let me go on; let me be with my parents and Sirius."_

"_I'm sorry, but I can't do that," Dumbledore said gently._

"_No one is going to want me there, I'm a murderer. It's all my fault."_

"_They want you back, and they don't blame you. They love you," Dumbledore said._

"_I love them, too."_

"_Especially her," Dumbledore added knowingly._

"_Yes," Harry admitted sheepishly._

"_You've hidden it for her safety for far too long. You shouldn't be ashamed that you're in love with her," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Do you hear that, Harry?"_

"_No," Harry said stubbornly._

"_Listen harder. Hermione is calling you. She needs you, she's depending on you."_

"_I need Hermione, too."_

"_It's time to go back, Harry." As the peaceful world around Harry began to fade away, he heard his hold headmaster call out to him one last time. "Your parents are very proud of you; we all are." _

_

* * *

_

Ginny slept restlessly that night. She couldn't get Harry out of her head; his pain, his suffering, his kiss… She knew that if she wanted to maintain any kind of a normal life, she would have to move on from what happened last night. If she didn't, she would never get Harry to open up to her again. She just had to figure out how to prove to him that he could trust her again. Well, that and she had to figure out if he had been talking about her when he had said he had been in love…

When she arrived in the dining room for breakfast, she was surprised to see all of the guys already there eating. MJ looked like he was in the middle of a very interesting story, because not one of the guys noticed her presence in the room.

"So then," MJ said, "she pushes me onto the bed and reaches behind her back and…" MJ's face turned bright pink when he finally noticed Ginny in the room. "Morning, Miss Weasley," he said sheepishly. Everyone cracked up, except Harry and Jacob, both of whom seemed to be completely mortified.

"Well, don't stop your story on my account, MJ," Ginny said slyly. "It sounds like you had an excellent weekend."

"It was alright," MJ replied with a grin.

Ginny sat down at the table and helped herself to a plateful of eggs. "So is that what you lot talk about when I'm not around, your conquests with women?"

Tank chuckled. "Well, seeing as how most of us are married, it's nice to live vicariously through the single blokes on the team, remembering the good old days."

"Although mostly it's just listening to MJ talk about his flavor of the week," Dustin added.

"What can I say, the ladies love me," MJ said cockily.

"I have stories too, from time to time," Jeff said.

"Jeff, the last date I saw you on was with Ginny," Wesley pointed out.

"Don't worry, Jeff. Not having stories isn't a bad thing," Ginny assured him.

"Oh, to be so young and ignorant again," Dustin said dramatically.

"I'm not ignorant! You don't grow up with six older brothers and stay ignorant about the mind of the teenage boy!" Ginny insisted.

"The mind of the teenage boy is a bit different from the mind of the man," Jacob said, blushing furiously.

"Here, here!" MJ cheered.

"How old were you when your parents gave you 'the talk,' Tank?" Dustin asked.

"Oh, let's see. I guess I was around thirteen or fourteen when I got the brief version. I got the full blown thing at sixteen when I got my first serious girlfriend," Tank answered.

"It was about the same for me," Dustin said. "I'm curious if it was the same for the different generations."

"My dad talked to me at thirteen, I think. I still wasn't interested in girls, so I didn't care about it much until later," Wesley said.

"I got it at eleven," Jeff said. "It was just Dad and me, so he was very blunt with it."

"Isn't eleven a bit early?" Ginny asked.

"Not when you're going to school with veela," Jeff said with a grin.

"Aren't you older than Fleur?" Ginny asked.

"She wasn't the only one at that school," Jeff replied with a far off look in his eyes.

"What about you, MJ?" Dustin asked.

"Fourteen," MJ answered. "Mum couldn't get up the nerve to talk to me about it, so she finally just convinced her brother to do it. I do have to say he told me a few things I don't think my mum would have."

Jacob let out an appreciative chuckle. "When I was thirteen my dad gave me a book on the topic. He sat patiently at my desk while I read it, and then asked me if I had any questions. I told him no, and he just told me that when the time came to make sure I was responsible."

"I have to admit the talk my brother gave me was much more useful than the talk my dad gave me," Tank added. "He's the one who actually talked about technique and such."

"Okay, I think this conversation is now pushing the 'not appropriate at the breakfast table' limit," Ginny said, trying her hardest not to blush.

"Well, Miss Weasley, when did your mum give you the talk?" Tank asked with a grin.

Ginny smiled proudly. "By the time Mum gave me the talk when I was fourteen, I was already well advised on the topic." She knew they were all giving her curious looks, but the look Harry was giving her was enough to make her burst out laughing. She smiled and maintained her composure. "When I was seven, I had a nightmare. Bill had just come home from one thing or another, and I snuck to his room so he could protect me from my bad dreams. Needless to say I was surprised to find a girl in Bill's bed with him. Only now can I fully appreciate the look of pure horror on Bill's face. He pulled on a pair of pants, and quickly ushered me back to my bedroom. When I asked what they were doing, he gave me my first very abbreviated version of the talk."

"How many versions did you get?" Jeff asked.

"Well, a got another one from Charlie after a similar situation, but he was stupid enough to be out in the open, practically in our backyard. Then there was the talk Fred and George gave me before I started Hogwarts about what to do if any boys tried to touch me. Then there was Tom… he pretty much took away what was left of my innocence." Ginny shuddered at the thought and was shocked when she realized how easily she had mentioned him in a normal conversation. She shook her head and regained her composure. "And finally the one from Mum with the general knowledge of how things worked, and the assurance that no respectable witch would have relations with a man before she was married to him." Ginny giggled at the memory.

"What's so funny?" Tank asked.

"After that I told my Mum that Bill and Charlie must not have dated very respectable witches," Ginny said through her giggles. "You should have heard the howlers she sent them!"

After the laughter had died down, Dustin looked at Harry. "Alright, Potter. Everybody's shared their embarrassing stories but you. I think it's only fair you take your turn."

Harry turned a brilliant Gryffindor red. "Well, it's just that…"

"Spit it out," MJ said laughing.

"I never got the talk," Harry mumbled.

"What was that?" Tank asked.

"I never got the talk, okay?" Harry repeated forcefully. Ginny couldn't believe she'd never thought about it before. It was just one of the many things Harry had missed out on.

"What do you mean, you never got the talk?" Tank asked incredulously.

"Well, my parents died before I reached that stage, and my pig of an uncle barely said two words to me," Harry explained. "And then when I was thirteen I found my godfather, but he was pretty much on the run from the law from the time I met him until the time he died. We really didn't have time to talk about things like girls and sex." Ginny stifled a laugh when Harry's face flushed further when he said the word sex. "And by that time I had heard enough by word of mouth that I figured even if I had someone to talk to about that kind of thing I didn't really need to."

"Oh, but you were gravely mistaken," Tank said in total seriousness. He turned and looked at Ginny. "We've got practice in a few minutes, but I want you to make sure our schedule is cleared for tonight. We've got a 'men only' bonding activity that needs to be taken care of."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked. She followed Tanks gaze to Harry and suddenly understood. "Oh, I'll make sure you won't be interrupted. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help." Tank raised an eyebrow at her. Ginny rolled her eyes in response. "I meant if you needed any kind of visual aids…" Tank burst out laughing at the implication. "Tank! I meant like a book or something, but forget it now if you aren't capable of correctly interpreting an innocent comment."

Harry looked around the room nervously. "Should I be scared?"

"No, mate," MJ said smiling. "You should consider yourself lucky that you're going to be gaining the wisdom from all of our experience."

"Okay, okay, we'll worry about this tonight. Let's just get to practice now," Tank said.

"Have fun," Ginny called as they all left the kitchen.

* * *

It was two hours after dinner that Harry came walking absently into the living room where Ginny was sitting working. She had stayed up intentionally to make sure that the team didn't scar Harry for life. As soon as they had finished eating, Tank had forcefully ushered Harry back upstairs. And now, two hours later, Harry was sitting in the living room, alone with Ginny. 

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked tentatively.

Harry took a deep breath. "I can honestly say that was the single most mortifying experience of my life."

Ginny laughed. "Oh, I'm sure it wasn't all that bad."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"It couldn't be any worse than walking in on your brothers shagging," Ginny said.

"Oh, I don't know. If I told you the personal stories they told me, you'd never be able to look any of them in the face again," Harry said. "Although if you ever get to a point when you don't think you'll ever see them again, I have some really funny stories to tell you."

"I'll let you know," Ginny said with a chuckle. "But, come on, that couldn't have been that bad."

"Oh, that wasn't what was bad. They insisted that they know the full extent of my limited experience, and when I told them they wouldn't let me hear the end of it. They proceeded to tell me exactly how everything I haven't done should be done or how it should feel. Then they went on to conjure up images of examples of what things should look like, which wouldn't have been that bad if they weren't real images from MJ's memories."

Ginny's face flushed. "Oh my…"

"Exactly. Then they went on to say that a bloke like me could have any girl I wanted. They thought that on our next night off I should go out into town, drop my name, and shag the first female that responded."

"They didn't!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Oh, they did. I told them that I wanted it to be special, something more memorable than a witch who only wanted me because of my name, but they insisted that I was being unreasonable and that I sounded like a girl."

"They just don't understand at all!" Ginny said.

"Well, don't tell them that. I think they thought I was the luckiest bloke in the world to get the benefits from all of their wisdom. I think they came close to screwing up my perspective on the subject for life."

"What are they doing now?" Ginny asked.

"I think they're still comparing stories. I just had to get out of there," Harry said with a sigh.

"Oh." Ginny looked at Harry, and decided then was as good of a time as any to try and get him to talk more. "Are we ever going to get to finish the conversation we started last night?"

"I didn't realize we weren't finished," Harry said stubbornly.

"Harry, I still have so many unanswered questions," Ginny said.

"I told you that I couldn't answer all of your questions," Harry said quietly.

"Can you tell me why you're so thin? I couldn't help but notice last night. And today, I noticed that you don't eat as much as the other guys," Ginny said.

Harry looked surprised to hear her question. "Well, I'm not as big as the other guys; I never had Ron's appetite."

"Yes, but you still shouldn't look this thin."

Harry sighed. "Honestly? I lost a lot of weight right after I got out of school. I wasn't eating properly, I was drinking a lot, and I spent most of my time just lying around. I didn't take care of myself, and I'm still kind of paying for that today."

"What do you mean you're still paying for it today?" Ginny asked.

Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry, that's one of those things I can't tell you."

"Okay, but shouldn't you have put weight back on since then?"

"Well, this is probably the best I've eaten in a long time. I never exactly ate well while I was traveling, and I never really took the time to cook for myself. If it wasn't for the times when Hermione was at home, my body probably would have completely fallen apart a long time ago."

"You two really depended on each other, didn't you?" Ginny asked.

"We both went through a lot. We had a lot in common."

"You both cared about Ron," Ginny pointed out.

"I can't tell you why she broke up with him if that's what you're getting at," Harry replied.

"Fine. But you really should try and take better care of yourself, Harry."

"There were just so many days I didn't see the point," Harry said quietly. "But I've been trying more lately, I really have, I promise."

"Good. Now why don't you continue to take care of yourself and go get some sleep," Ginny said.

"I'll go up in a bit. They were using my room, and I really don't want to go back up until I'm sure they're done. You know this was the first time I really felt like a kid around them?"

Ginny smiled. "I know what you mean. You don't think on a day to day basis that they're that much older than us."

"In some ways we have so much more life experience, but then on the days like this…"

"Again, I know what you mean," Ginny said with a giggle. "But since I don't have anyone in my room I think I'm going to go to bed. I hope your room clears out soon."

"Good night, Gin."

"Good night, Harry. And thank you for being honest with me tonight; it really means a lot to me."

"I'm trying," Harry said with a sigh.

"And so am I."

* * *

A/N I have to tell you all, the first thing I wrote with this story is the backstory. You now offically have every piece of the backstory, minus two crucial Harry/Hermione moments. And maybe one more piece that isn't written yet. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, I found it to be quite humorous to write. The next update will be sometime this weekend as usual. I'm updating today since I'll be traveling all day tomorrow (I'm going to go stay with my parents). As always, thanks for your reviews, they mean the world to me. Oh, and trust me, Ginny just hit the tip of an iceberg with the whole eating issue. Harry made some mistakes, and you'll see a lot more in the next 3 or so chapters... 


	10. Trip to the Ministry

The next morning at breakfast, things were mostly back to normal. Ginny couldn't help but notice that Harry had more food on his plate than he had previously, and that he blushed anytime he made eye contact with one of the other guys. The conversation of breakfast was light and fun, and Ginny couldn't help but miss breakfasts with her family before the war. She caught Harry's eye and smiled at him. She thought about what he had said about trying to make things better with her family; she really wanted things to go back to being normal. Ginny promised herself that morning that once the World Cup was over she would try and fix things within her family.

"Earth to Ginny," Tank called.

"Sorry, I guess I was really thinking about something," Ginny said. "Did you need something?"

"I was just curious as to what our schedule looked like for the rest of this week. The weather looks bad again today, and I really wasn't looking forward to practicing in the rain all week," Tank explained.

"Well, you're supposed to have practice everyday this week but Saturday, and light practices on Friday and Sunday. The rest of the week you have normal, twice a day practices," Ginny replied.

"Regardless of the weather?" Jeff asked.

"Well, as long as it's only raining, yes. But if it's really storming and your safety is in question, Mason's supposed to call off practice," Ginny said.

"Great, so we can all get soaking wet and get sick," Dustin complained.

"Speaking of being sick, you all have appointments with the team healer Friday morning," Ginny informed them. The team let out a collective groan.

"Do we have to?" MJ whined.

Ginny gave them a sympathetic smile. "Yes. Mr. Perry wants to make sure you're all in good health. We don't want to lose any of you."

"Um, Ginny?" Harry said tentatively.

"Yes?"

"Well, it's just that… I mean I don't have a problem with seeing a healer," he stuttered.

"But?"

"But if I see a healer it can't be the team healer. It has to be one of mine that is pre-approved by the Ministry. Minister Bones likes to keep my health as private as possible for whatever reason," Harry explained.

Ginny frowned. "I'm sure you know what the reason is, you just don't want to tell me."

Harry sighed. "I can't tell you. We've talked about this."

"Now kids," Tank said. "I thought you two had worked things out."

"Do we need to lock you in the bathroom again?" Dustin asked.

"I bet if we did we'd get a different result now that Potter knows how things work," MJ teased.

"Sod off, MJ," Harry growled.

"I think everybody just needs to calm down," Jacob said nervously.

"I think he's right," Mason said as he stalked into the room. "I went to meet my team to start practice, but I didn't have a team."

"Sorry, Coach," Tank said, standing up from the table. "We're all on our way out."

"You had better be. And Miss Weasley, please do not keep my team away from their practice again."

Ginny looked sheepishly at the floor while Mason glared at her. "I apologize, it won't happen again."

"Well what are you lot staring at? I want you all out on the pitch and starting drills now!" Mason bellowed. The team hurried out and Ginny found herself alone in the dining room. "What did I ever do to him?" she wondered aloud.

* * *

After Ginny finished her normal morning routine, she decided to take a trip to the Ministry to see what she needed to do about getting a healer for Harry. She opened up the Floo Network, and went to her office in the Ministry. She knew she needed to head to the Minister's office and see if there was anytime she could speak with her that day, but she thought she'd stop in on her family first. She tried Ron's office first since he was in the same department she was, but his office was empty. Ginny then headed to her father's department and found him working diligently at his desk. She knocked on the door as she walked in.

"Hello, Ginny," Arthur said gently. "To what do I owe this visit?"

"Hey Dad. I just had an errand to run in the Ministry, but I thought I'd stop by and say hello first," Ginny said with a smile.

"Is everything going well with the team?" Arthur asked.

"I think so. I just have to talk to Minister Bones about Harry," Ginny explained.

"How's he doing?"

"From what I can tell he's been doing a lot better since he's been in the house."

Arthur smiled. "I'm glad. I wish he'd come by the Burrow sometime. I'd love to see him; it's been like losing another son without him coming around."

"Well, I think the only real opposition you'd receive from Harry coming by the house is from Ron."

"Oh I know. Just an old man's pipe dreams," Arthur said. "You know sometimes when I go home in the evenings I expect to see your mother in the kitchen cooking, fussing about whatever trouble Fred and George got into that day, and chasing Ron out of the kitchen."

"I know you miss her," Ginny said sadly. "We all do."

"I know you all worry about me, too, but you shouldn't. I'm the one who should be worrying about all of you. You think I'm too old to notice, but I can still tell when my children aren't happy." Ginny's jaw dropped at the words coming out of her father's mouth. "Don't look so surprised. If I know anything, it's my children. I know you were fairly depressed all last year, and I can't blame you. I know how many memories Hogwarts holds for you. I know Ron is miserable, even though he'd never admit it. He misses Harry and Hermione, but he's too proud to try and work things out. I know the only thing keeping Charlie from going back to work with the dragons is Tonks. I know that if it wasn't for her he'd probably have gotten himself killed by now. I know a lot, Ginny. I'm just not your mother; I'm going to let my children work out their problems on their own unless they ask for my help."

Ginny stared at her father, unsure of how to respond. "Dad?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"Help me fix our family."

"Just tell me what you want me to do," Arthur replied.

"I guess we should start on Ron. Just make him talk to you when you're at the house together. Try and find the old, fun loving, high spirited Ron I grew up with," Ginny said.

"I'll try and work on him. Now, you go and take care of whatever it is you need to do today."

"Alright. Bye, Dad."

"Bye Ginny."

* * *

After leaving her father's office, Ginny headed towards the Minister's office. She was sidetracked, however, when she saw the sign marking the Auror's offices. On an impulse, she got off the lift she had been on and went looking for Tonks. It didn't take her long to find the Auror with bright pink hair, sipping on a cup of coffee and reading the paper in one of the lounges.

"Wotcher, Ginny!" Tonks exclaimed. "What brings you my way?"

"Well, I missed you at dinner the other night, so I thought I'd stop by and say hello," Ginny explained.

"Well, I wish I could have been there, but you know what it's like for me. I never know when I'm going to get called in for an assignment," Tonks said.

"Well, I guess it's my fault anyway. I mean, I am the one who said Harry couldn't leave the manor."

"Well, we had fun just hanging out. I miss not going to his games while he's in training," Tonks said happily. Ginny's eyes grew wide and she smiled broadly. Tonks frowned. "You didn't know any of that, did you?"

"Well I had guessed that you were the one assigned to stay with Harry this weekend, but I didn't know about the games. It would fit with the things I do know, however," Ginny said. "So what else can you tell me about Harry that I don't already know?"

"Not a thing," Tonks said, her jaw set firmly.

"Oh come on! If you were with Harry this weekend, you know why his room is almost completely bare. You know why he needs a guard with him. You know why he's not healthy looking. Just tell me, maybe I can help," Ginny urged her friend.

"I can't tell you. Minister Bones has all matters concerning Harry held under the tightest security. If you want to know, you'll either have to get Harry to tell you, or get clearance from Minister Bones. And even if you get clearance, you'd still have to have Harry's permission to see his file," Tonks explained patiently.

"Well then it's a good thing I'm going to see Minister Bones this afternoon. I have to talk to her about Harry anyway, I'll just ask for clearance while I'm there," Ginny said stubbornly.

"I just don't know if I think that's the best idea," Tonks said nervously. "You really hurt Harry before. I don't know if he could handle it if you hurt him again. It may be best if you're involved with Harry's case as little as possible."

"Maybe you should let Harry decide what's best," Ginny said, her anger growing. "For all I know, you told Harry to stay away from me before!"

"I did nothing of the sort!" Tonks exclaimed. "In fact, I urged Harry to come back to the Burrow with me to work things out before it was too late."

"And now it's too late?" Ginny asked.

Tonks sighed. "That's not what I'm saying at all. You haven't been there the last year; you weren't there when he hit rock bottom. You weren't there when his magic…" Tonks shook her head. "You just weren't there for him when he needed his friends; when he needed his family."

"What happened to his magic?" Ginny asked quickly.

"I'm sorry, I can't say. But promise me, if you do find out everything, make sure you're in for the long haul."

Ginny furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

Tonks sighed again. "I mean, if you gain Harry's trust again, make sure you don't let him down this time."

"I didn't intentionally let him down last time," Ginny said quietly.

"Regardless of what you meant to do, you did hurt him. Just tread lightly. No matter what he may say, he's still very fragile emotionally."

"I will."

"If you wanted to go see Minister Bones, I think she had some free time this afternoon. You could probably catch her if you go now."

"Thanks. I'll see you around, Tonks."

"See you."

* * *

Ginny sat in the Minister's office, waiting for Minister Bones to finish a Floo call. The longer she sat, the more nervous she became. After what felt like an eternity, Minister Bones returned to her desk and sat down across from Ginny.

"Well, Miss Weasley, what can I do for you this afternoon?" she asked politely.

"Well," Ginny began, "I'm sure you know I'm working with the National Quidditch team."

"Of course."

"Well, on Friday they're all supposed to go to the team healer for checkups. Harry told me that he could only see a healer that was approved by you first," Ginny explained.

"That's correct. It's not a problem at all. I'll just have one of the approved healers come by the manor Friday morning," Minister Bones replied. "Is that all?"

Ginny took a deep breath. "No. I want to request clearance to view Harry's file. Working with him on such a personal basis I've come across several issues that need to be addressed, yet I can't be informed as to what the actual problems are. It's creating a problem for both of us."

"I don't know if that is the best idea. Very few people know about Harry's case."

"Please," Ginny urged. "I need to know. For the good of the team," she added quickly.

Minister Bones stood up from her desk and began to pace the room. "Miss Weasley, are you aware that I was a member of the Order?"

"No, I wasn't."

"And there's a good reason for that. If it had gotten out that I was working with Dumbledore, I would have lost my job at the Ministry and the Order would have lost one of the best informants they had. Sometimes, the fewer people that know something, the better off everyone is."

"But this might not be one of those times," Ginny insisted, feeling more and more like a child with every passing moment.

"I don't think you realize the gravity of the situation you want to become involved in," Minister Bones said. "And I'm not ignorant of your prior personal relationship with Harry, but he has obviously trusted you enough to fill you in on some things already."

"He has told me a few things, but he feels like he's being restricted on what he can tell me by the regulations you set," Ginny replied.

"Are you sure he actually wants to tell you? Or is he just looking for an excuse not to?" Minister Bones asked politely.

"I'd like to think he wants to tell me," Ginny said quietly. The minister turned her back to Ginny and it looked like she was holding a conversation with a portrait on the wall. Ginny couldn't tell who the portrait was of from where she was sitting.

"Miss Weasley, are you aware of the process for being cleared to view Harry's file?" the minister asked.

"No 'mam."

"The first step is like the normal clearance for being given a ministry job. We check into your history, talk to friends, family members, professors; nothing you should have a problem with. The second phase is you must be approved by fifty percent of the Wizengamot, like anyone must for important Ministry issues. Again, with your history during the war, I doubt it would be hard for you to acquire the necessary votes."

"I appreciate you saying so," Ginny said honestly.

"But the next step is where you'll start to have problems. There are currently fifteen people who have clearance to view Harry's file, and you'd have to be approved by all fifteen. Ten of those people are former members of the order, and the other five are his healers and my personal staff. If you had asked for this clearance a year ago, I'm sure it would have been granted automatically. However, after the events the occurred after the war, you may have some problems. These are all people who are looking out for Harry's best interests; people who would do anything in their power to keep him from getting hurt again."

Ginny looked at the minister. "Tonks is one of those fifteen, isn't she?"

Minister Bones nodded. "She is, and so am I. If you are able to attain that approval, then you only have to have one more person accept you."

"Who is that?" Ginny asked.

"Harry."

"Oh," Ginny said softly. "Minister, if you had to make a decision right now, would you approve me?"

"I don't know. I'll have to give this a lot of thought. We haven't added anyone new to Harry's case in almost six months. I guess I'd have to talk to Harry and see how he felt," Minister Bones answered.

"I can respect that," Ginny replied automatically. "I'm assuming this means you're going to submit my name for clearance?"

Minister Bones sighed. "If you are this insistent, then yes. I'm warning you though, the process could take a week or it could take over a month."

"I understand. Is there anything I can do to expedite the process?" Ginny asked.

"Short of having Harry himself request your clearance, no."

"Alright," Ginny said dejectedly.

"Well, Miss Weasley, I have a lot of work to attend to. If you ever need anything again, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, Minister. Have a nice day."

* * *

Ginny tried to stop in on Charlie before leaving the Ministry, but like Ron he was out of the office. When she arrived back at the manor, she found Tank sitting alone in the living room reading a book.

"We were wondering where you got to," Tank said smiling.

"I had to go into the ministry to try and work out this whole Harry healer situation," Ginny explained.

"Well, I told the house elves to save you some lunch."

Ginny smiled at him gratefully. "Thanks, it's been a long day and I'm starving. Where is everyone?"

"Well, Harry is upstairs in his room doing Merlin knows what, and the rest of them are still outside with Mason. Apparently, they're not working as a unit, so Mason's been torturing them since lunch," Tank explained.

"Well, why don't you come sit with me in the dining room while I eat?" Ginny suggested.

"I think I'll do that." Tank followed Ginny into the dining room and they sat down together at the table.

"Dobby?" Ginny called.

The house elf appeared before her happily. "Yes, Miss Wheezy?"

"Could you gather some food for me? Nothing too big, just something to tide me over until dinner," Ginny asked.

"Certainly, Miss Wheezy. Dobby is happy to do anything for you!" Dobby disappeared and quickly reappeared with a plate of food. "Will that be all?"

"Yes, thank you." Dobby nodded and disappeared again.

"Was that the same Dobby that Harry was talking about the other day?" Tank asked curiously as Ginny bit into a sandwich.

"Yes," Ginny said with her mouth full. She blushed at her bad manners and swallowed. "I mean, yes. Oh! But you can't tell Harry he's here! It's a long story, but that house elf is obsessed with taking care of Harry, and if Harry found out he was here Dobby would be punishing himself for weeks. That's one of the reasons why I was so upset when you switched rooms. Dobby was trying to look out for Harry, and he had a complete meltdown when he was missing. Dobby means well, but he really can be quite a pain in the arse."

"Well, we should have told you about changing rooms. I can just tell how much Harry hurts, and I wanted to try and do something to make him feel better," Tank said. "Plus, I really wanted him to trust me. I know he's fairly alone in the world, and I'd like to a person he can depend on."

"You and me both," Ginny admitted. "Although you'll probably have an easier time of it than me, I've already lost his trust once."

"It sounds like you two have a complicated history," Tank said slowly.

Ginny sighed. "The understatement of the century."

"Would it help to talk about it?" Tank asked.

"I don't know," Ginny replied. "When Mum was alive, she could always tell right away when something was bothering me. She would nag me until I talked to her about what was wrong. I always hated it before, but now I miss it."

"Life's funny like that," Tank said. "Sometimes the things you miss the most are the things you took for granted. My brother and I were so competitive with each other; he was always trying to out do me. It drove me insane. But then once he was gone, I missed it. I realized that our competition was what drove me to work harder; what made me a better Quidditch player and a better person. It's really hard to play without thinking about him. I haven't told anyone, but that's one of the reasons I'm retiring."

"I'm sorry. I know how much it hurts to lose someone you love," Ginny said.

"My brother led a good life, and I got to enjoy most of it with him. Don't feel sorry for me, feel sorry for his kids. They're so young, they'll never really even remember him," Tank said sadly.

"I guess I'm fortunate in that way. I got the chance to really know my mum. I'll be telling my kids bedtime stories about how their grandmum died fighting like a heroine," Ginny said proudly.

"That's what's important, you know," Tank said, "honoring their memory instead of feeling bad for ourselves."

"It's just so much easier to say than to do. My family really has fallen apart since she and Bill died. Today I took the first steps to trying to put things back together."

"Good," a voice called from the doorway.

Ginny turned around. "Harry!"

"I guess that means you took my advice," he replied as he sat down with them at the table.

"I went to visit with my dad, and he really surprised me with how perceptive he is. All this time I thought he was clueless, but he was just trying to let us work out our problems on our own," Ginny explained.

"I guess that's why he and your mum made such a good team. His willingness to let things be helped balance out her need to get involved," Harry said thoughtfully.

"Well, hopefully between the two of us we'll be able to pull everyone back together," Ginny said.

"I don't know your dad, but I have faith in you," Tank said honestly. "I believe you can do anything you put your mind to."

"I do too, Gin," Harry added.

Ginny's cheeks turned pink. "Thank you."

"It isn't hard to believe in you," Harry admitted.

"It's just hard to trust me," Ginny said quietly.

Harry sighed. "The world isn't just made up of black and white."

"I wish you two could just get past all of this. I'm not going to pretend to understand what happened, but it's obvious to everyone how much you care about each other. If you didn't care, you couldn't hurt each other so much," Tank said.

"I do care, Gin," Harry said. "It's just hard."

"I know," Ginny replied. "Trust me; my life would be a lot simpler if I didn't care."

"Well at least you two can agree on something. Harry, why don't you come outside and watch how practice is going with me," Tank suggested.

"But…"

Tank raised an eyebrow at Harry. "We can talk for a bit."

"Oh, okay," Harry said. They both stood up from the table. "Later, Ginny."

"Bye," Ginny called as she watched them walk out of the dining room. "_We're making progress, Harry. And hopefully, I'll be able to find out all of your secrets soon."_

_

* * *

_

A/N Okay, well this has been a busy holiday season already! This chapter hasn't been by my beta, but when I get the chapter back from him I'll probably repost it with any changes. Sorry this chapter is late, and I'm only planning on updating once this week because of Christmas coming up. Thanks as always for your reviews and your continued support of my story. I hope everyone has a happy holiday season! FYI, I'm currently writing the chapter with Hermione, so it's coming eventually!


	11. Quidditch

A/N This chapter owes a great deal to the Harry Potter Lexicon. Without it, the following chapter would have been disastrous.

* * *

By Wednesday morning the weather was looking much better. Ginny was in a good mood when she woke up, and she cheerfully got dressed for the day. She glanced at the team's calendar and noticed that there was a change for the day's schedule. When she saw what it was, she grinned broadly and ran downstairs. She walked into the dining room where Tank, Jacob, and Harry were eating.

"Good morning!" Ginny said happily.

"Why are you so perky this morning?" Tank asked.

"You'll be perky too when you hear my news!" Ginny replied.

"What news?" Jeff asked as he sleepily walked into the room with Wesley.

"You'll just have to wait until everyone gets here," Ginny said.

"They better hurry or Mason will have our heads," Jacob worried.

"Relax, Jake, we're here," MJ said, sitting down at the table with Dustin.

Tank looked at Ginny. "Okay, so what's the news?"

"Well, I went to go check the schedule this morning when I noticed that today's practice had been cancelled!"

"No practice? I can't believe Mason would cancel practice," Tank said in disbelief.

"Neither could I," Ginny said. "But then I noticed that Mr. Perry had written a note telling Mason to feel better. So I guess all of his making you practice in the rain backfired."

"So, what are we doing instead?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"Are you scared of what I might have planned?" Ginny asked, pretending to be offended.

"Yes," Harry replied simply.

"Well, I cleared my schedule because we haven't really had much down time in the house. So I thought we could go out on the pitch…"

"Practice when we've gotten a day off?" MJ asked incredulously.

"Let me finish," Ginny said patiently. "I thought we could go out there and play for fun. Two teams of four, nobody plays their proper position, you know, just like a pick-up game you'd play at home."

"That is the best idea I've heard in a long time," Wesley said grinning.

"I'm glad you like it. Now we just have to decide what the teams are and what positions we're going to play," Ginny said happily.

"Why don't we just leave everything up to chance?" Dustin suggested. "Just draw everything out of a hat or something like that. If you end up with the correct position, well then just consider yourself lucky."

"Sounds like a plan," Tank agreed. "That is if you think you can keep us with us, Ginny," he added playfully.

"It's been awhile since I've flown, but I think I'll be okay," she replied confidently.

"She's really pretty good," Harry added. "At least as good as anyone who was my replacement could be."

"If you hadn't gotten kicked off the team I could have just been chaser all along like I wanted!" Ginny argued.

"Too true. You're a natural chaser," Harry said.

"And you're a natural seeker," she replied.

"Are you two done patting each other on the back yet?" MJ asked.

"I think so," Ginny said with a chuckle. "Why don't you all finish eating and we'll meet out on the pitch in about half an hour?"

"That's a plan," Tank said.

* * *

Thirty minutes later they were all standing on the pitch, holding their brooms. Ginny was holding eight pieces of paper in her hand, each one containing a team and a position. They had decided to play with a keeper, one beater, and two chasers on each team.

"Alright, who's picking first?" Ginny asked.

"Me!" MJ called, hurrying towards her. He took one of the pieces of paper from her hand. "Keeper, team one!" he announced to the group.

Wesley took the next piece of paper. "Chaser, team two."

"Beater, team two," Jeff said happily as he read his piece of paper.

"Keeper, team two," Dustin announced.

"Beater, team one," Tank said. "This should be fun."

Jacob looked at Ginny and Harry nervously. He wasn't sure if he'd rather work with one of them or against both of them. He cautiously looked at his piece of paper. "Chaser, team two," he said quietly.

"So that makes the two of us chasers on team one," Ginny said, looking at Harry.

"Alright, team huddle," Tank called. He led Harry, Ginny and MJ away from the others and pulled them into a tight circle. "Okay, so we're at a disadvantage because Jeff and Jacob are playing their own positions, but…"

"Excuse me, but I'm playing my own position, too," Ginny pointed out.

"Okay, a slight disadvantage," Tank corrected. "Anyway, I think I've got a pretty good handle on playing beater, and I have faith in MJ's skills as a keeper."

"But you're not sure about my skills as a chaser?" Harry asked in mock outrage.

"Well, I've never seen you do anything but seek," Tank explained.

"He's good enough. We've played together plenty of times in my backyard," Ginny said.

"Good."

"Hey Gin," Harry said suddenly.

"What?"

"Remember that time after my fifth year me, you and Ron played against Fred, George, and Lee most of the summer?"

Ginny looked at him confused. "Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, do you remember those strategies Ron planned out for us?" Harry asked grinning.

Ginny's eyes lit up. "You're brilliant! They'll never know what hit them!"

"Do we even want to know?" MJ asked. Harry and Ginny shook their heads.

"Okay, well, Jacob is going to be nervous, so you guys should take advantage of that. And look out for Jeff, he's lethal with his bat," Tank said.

"Well, it is going to be your job to protect us from said bat," Harry pointed out. "MJ, you're also going to have to take advantage of the fact that you know Jacob's flying and scoring habits. You're going to have to anticipate his moves."

"Oy! Is this a fun game or the finals of the World Cup?" Jeff called.

"We're coming, we're coming," Tank called back. "Alright, let's go whomp them!"

The eight people stood in the center of the pitch, each ready to mount their brooms.

"Alright, let's keep this clean. I don't want to explain to Mr. Perry why none of you have ever been injured during practice, but somebody broke a bone during a fun, pick up game. We'll play to 100, or for two hours, which ever comes first," Ginny announced. "Now everybody on your brooms and I'll release the balls!" The team mounted their brooms and soared expertly into the air. Ginny couldn't help but feel a little in awe as she watched them. She quickly recovered, released the bludgers and flew into the air holding the quaffle. "Let's play, boys!" she exclaimed as she threw the ball into the air between herself and Wesley.

All four chasers dove for the quaffle, but it was Wesley with the size advantage who came away with it. He and Jacob started to head towards the goals MJ was defending. Harry and Ginny closed in on Wesley, trying to steal the quaffle. Wesley tried to pass to Jacob, but Ginny dove in between them and intercepted the ball. She looped around and started to head for the opposite goal. Harry followed suit, dodging a bludger in the process, but instead of heading straight for the goal he began to do loops around Ginny. Confused by his tactics, Wesley and Jacob both closed in on Ginny. In an apparent attempt to get away, Ginny headed up at the exact same time Harry was on the downward half of his loop. Ginny dropped the ball to him, performing an excellent Porskoff Ploy. Dustin was so confused at to what was going on Harry was able to score on him easily.

"Yes!" Ginny exclaimed happily. She could hear MJ cheering for them from the other side of the pitch.

Harry and Ginny easily scored again four more times, their only opposition being from Jeff's bat. Jacob and Wesley were both obviously a little hesitant to play against a girl, not playing overly aggressive whenever Ginny had the quaffle and Jacob was still too intimidated from playing against his hero to be aggressive against Harry. Ginny couldn't help but laugh when she saw how frustrated Jeff was getting with his teammates.

Ginny's team was up 60-10 when she and Harry were heading for the goal again. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jeff swinging his bat. The next thing she knew, the bludger was heading directly towards Harry.

"Harry, look out!" she screamed. Harry looked over his shoulder and saw the bludger coming right at him. He quickly passed the quaffle to Ginny and performed a Sloth Grip Roll, missing the bludger by inches. Ginny sighed in relief. "You okay?" she asked as she passed the quaffle back to Harry.

"Yeah," he called back as he went in to take a shot, darting past Jacob with ease. The game continued until the score was 90-40, with Harry and Ginny stealing the show by executing daring plays Ron had devised for them years ago. Desperate to avoid being beaten, Dustin was able to make several miraculous saves on the goal so the score could be evened to 90-60, but in the end it just wasn't enough. Ginny scored the final goal of the game, after looping in a figure eight pattern with Harry, passing the quaffle back and forth until she was close enough to score. They all landed back on the pitch, smiling and laughing.

"And why, Miss Weasley, aren't you out here playing Quidditch everyday with us?" Tank asked as he wrapped her in a congratulatory hug.

"I'm really not that good. Harry and I just had really good plays that we've practiced before," Ginny replied blushing.

"I want to know why Jacob was scared to get physical with it. We're never going to win a game if he's scared to play," Jeff said tensely.

"Well, I didn't want to be responsible for anybody getting hurt! Ginny's not a professional player and I didn't want to hurt her!" Jacob exclaimed defensively.

"Calm down, Jeff. It was just a game for fun," Wesley said, putting his arm over the shoulders of his fellow beater.

"I must say I'm a natural keeper," MJ said brightly.

"Or that Ginny and Harry normally stole the quaffle before it ever even came near the goals," Tank pointed out.

Ginny looked at Harry, who wore a grin that covered his entire face. "Does winning excite you that much?" she asked him.

"No, but flying does. I haven't gotten to fly like that, against someone, since the training camps," Harry explained. "I still think that flying is the best feeling in the entire world."

"You're a natural," Tank commented.

"Is it true that you were put on your house team after only one flying lesson?" Jacob asked shyly.

"Yeah, it is," Harry admitted.

MJ let out a low whistle. "Youngest house player in over a century."

"Restored honor to the Gryffindor team," Tank added.

"Hey, I think I should get some of the credit! We won the house cup because I kept us in it after Harry got kicked off the team!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Yes, but things started to turn around when Harry joined the team," MJ explained. "It's not that your contribution isn't significant, it's just that Harry's marked the beginning of the change."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Great, just one more thing to be famous for."

"At least this is something you had fun doing," Ginny pointed out.

"True," Harry agreed.

"Come on, let's go inside and see if there's something to eat," MJ said, walking back towards the house.

"MJ, we just ate about two hours ago!" Ginny said laughing.

"So? Protecting those goals wore me out," MJ said, never stopping on his path back towards the house. The others laughed and quickly ran after him. Ginny started to follow, but she noticed Harry still standing on the pitch looking longingly at the sky.

"You really love flying, don't you?" Ginny asked quietly.

"It's such a freeing feeling. It's like the one thing in my life that has remained constantly good from the moment it was introduced to me," Harry said sadly.

Ginny was about to argue with him, but she realized it was probably true. His parents had died when he was only a baby, his aunt and uncle treated him like rubbish, he had lost Ron and the rest of her family, something had happened to change the foundation of his relationship with Hermione, he had to leave the place he considered to be home after watching so many people die… she could go on and on. Nothing had ever been easy for Harry; nothing but flying, apparently.

"Gin?" Harry questioned, seeing the contemplative look on her face.

"I was just thinking about that summer when Ron taught us those plays," she lied.

Harry grinned. "Despite everything that happened fifth year, when I got to the Burrow that summer you guys were determined not to let me brood. I swear Fred, George, and Lee came by the house every night as soon as they closed down the shop to play Quidditch or something."

"You were a horrid chaser when we first started," Ginny teased.

"True, but you taught me and I got better. I've enjoyed playing the position since then, but it's just not seeking," Harry admitted. "I'll never forget how you yelled at me the first night I was there."

Ginny laughed. "I told you that you were being a selfish prat."

"And that I needed to get over myself and understand that you were all mourning Sirius, too," Harry added. "I think that summer was the first time I really considered you a friend; despite the fact that you were yelling at me half the time."

"So, I wasn't your friend before I started yelling at you?"

"It's not that," Harry said slowly. "It's just that I was finally seeing you for who you were, and I eventually appreciated having someone in my life that was able to put me in my place with out nagging or mothering me; someone who wasn't afraid to let me know how they felt. It was a good thing too, because that's about when Ron started to realize he liked Hermione, even if it took him almost another year to act on it."

"Oh," Ginny said softly. "I never realized you felt that way."

"You wouldn't have. I was sixteen and stupid. I didn't know what it was like to share my feelings with anyone. Besides, even though I hadn't told you guys yet about the prophecy, it was on my mind all of the time. I tried to make myself promise that I wouldn't get too close to anyone again until I had completed my destiny; I couldn't stand the thought of anyone I cared about being used to get to me."

"When did things change?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Well, towards the end of seventh year I had a long heart to heart with Moony and Dumbledore. We had gotten information that Voldemort was planning a huge attack on either my birthday or Halloween. So Dumbledore planned out something he thought would have me prepared in time, and Moony talked to me about how much I was screwing up my life. So I tried to do what Moony suggested… it's not important what. Our information was wrong. Those last two big battles, at Hogsmeade and Hogwarts, and everything leading up to them, changed me. When it was all over I couldn't handle it anymore, things went haywire." Harry shook his head. "I've said too much."

Ginny was trying to put the pieces together in her head. She thought about any kind of change that had happened with Harry before the attack on Hogsmeade, but the only thing she could come up with was that he had asked her out. She wanted to confirm it with him, but she was afraid of causing him to shut down again. But her mind was swarming around the concept; had Harry really loved her? Had he cared for her but been afraid to act on it? Did he want to kiss her again as badly as she wanted to kiss him? She couldn't help but let her eyes be drawn to his lips as they stood together in comfortable silence.

"Are you two going to stand out there all day or are you going to come eat with us?" Jeff called out to them from the house.

"We're coming," Harry called back. Without another word he made his way towards the house, leaving Ginny struggling to catch up with him.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon had been spent pleasantly by everyone. They had talked about their school days, played chess, flown for fun, anything their hearts desired. Ginny couldn't help but notice that despite Harry's outward cheerfulness, he looked like he was going to pass out from exhaustion. They had an uneventful but enjoyable dinner, and now everyone was scattered around the house. Ginny found herself in the living room, going over the order for the team uniforms, while Harry lay on the couch reading and Dustin wrote a letter. Her eyes were torn from her work, and for what felt like the hundredth time that day she found her self staring at Harry.

She couldn't help herself. After everything she had discovered since they had been living in the manor she couldn't help but wonder if things could have been different for them. If only she had tried to talk to him; if only Ron had given her his letters. When she closed her eyes she could still feel his lips against hers, despite how brief and innocent the kiss had been. She smiled as she watched Harry's eyes drift closed. If anyone needed sleep it was Harry. She turned her attention back to her work.

A few minutes passed and Ginny glanced over at Harry again. She frowned when she saw him tossing haphazardly on the overstuffed couch. His lips were moving, but she couldn't make out his mumbled ramblings. He lifted his right arm off the couch without ever cracking open an eye.

"What the…" Ginny muttered. Dustin looked up and they watched as the pillow on the couch began to levitate above their heads.

* * *

A/N Yep, it's a cliffy. I get accused of doing this much more than I think I do. When I intend for it to be a cliff hanger, it'll be fairly obvious. This will be the last update until midweek next week at the earliest. I'm trying to catch up on my writing so I have plenty of time to get chapters betad before I post them, and unfortunately the stuff I'm writing right now is very important so it's pretty slow going. I hope that everyone has a very safe and happy holiday season and as always thanks for your reviews; they're the best Christmas presents an author can ask for! 


	12. Partial Explanations

Ginny and Dustin seemed to be frozen in place. They kept glancing back and forth between the pillow and Harry, unsure of what to do. Finally, Ginny crept over to the couch and placed her hand on Harry's shoulder. But instead of having the calming effect she had hoped for, the action caused Harry to start tossing even more. She tried to grab hold of him and make him stop.

"Harry, please wake up!" she pleaded. She gasped as it felt like her hands were burning. She released her grasp on Harry. "Harry!" she cried.

"Harry, wake up," Dustin said forcefully, while keeping his distance from Harry's body. Ginny let out a helpless sob as Harry's body began to shake. Dustin put a comforting arm around her, also accepting their helplessness in the situation. They stared at Harry until they heard a loud noise. The pillow Harry had been levitating had exploded and there were feathers everywhere. And as soon as Harry's fit had started, it stopped. Ginny rushed over to his side and tentatively brushed her hand across his sweaty forehead. When she received no pain, she began to stroke Harry's hair.

"Harry, wake up. Please wake up," she whispered into his ear. Harry sleepily opened his eyes as if nothing had happened.

"Gin? What's wrong?" he asked lazily. He looked in her eyes and saw fear. "Oh shit," he murmured. "I fell asleep down here. I can't believe I was so reckless."

"Harry, mate, what the hell was that?" Dustin asked wearily.

Harry looked surprised to see someone else in the room and noticed the feathers for the first time. "What happened exactly?" he asked hesitantly.

"Well, you were tossing and turning," Ginny began slowly. "And then you started to levitate the pillow. You were thrashing around, so I tried to wake you up, but when I touched you it felt like my hands were on fire."

"Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry," Harry whispered.

"Shush," Ginny said sternly shaking her head. "And then the pillow exploded and you woke up," she finished.

"So again, what was that?" Dustin asked.

"Is there somewhere private we can go?" Harry asked nervously.

"We can go to my quarters," Ginny offered. Harry nodded, and he and Dustin followed Ginny up the second set of stairs to her room. When they entered her room, Ginny sat down on her bed and Dustin sat down at her desk while Harry nervously paced the room.

Dustin rolled his eyes at Harry's antics. "Any day now."

Harry sighed, looking like he was going to fall asleep standing up. "First and foremost, what happened downstairs was entirely my fault. I know better than to fall asleep in a public place like that."

"So, this has happened before?" Ginny interrupted.

"Unfortunately," Harry replied. "While I can't explain exactly why it happened, I can tell you a few things. I've always had nightmares; I mean, I don't think you can see everything that I've seen and not. When the war was over, they started to get worse. I wasn't sleeping through the night and the images in my head were enough to make me want to kill myself. The only way I could avoid them was just getting completely pissed, and even then I still had them, I just didn't remember them."

"Why didn't you just take a dreamless sleep draught?" Dustin asked.

"Well, I had heard before that you could become addicted to them," Harry began.

"Yes, but you could have at least gotten one good night's sleep a week," Ginny interrupted again.

"But as I was about to say," Harry continued, "was that no one ever told me your body could build up an immunity to it." Ginny's mouth formed a silent 'oh.' "I had been taking it fairly regularly since sometime sixth year and by the end of seventh it was no longer affective."

"So you took to getting trashed all the time. Nothing wrong with that," Dustin said. "Most young blokes go through a phase in their lives where they drink more than they should."

"That's what I thought at first, too," Harry said dryly. "Until I started to wake up in the morning to find my bedroom completely destroyed. I would feel more tired than when I went to sleep, but I had no recollection of what happened to my room. I went to see my healers and they discovered that I had relaxed my body to a certain point that I began to react to my nightmares with my magic and once I started doing it I couldn't stop… At least, that's the simple version of it."

"And we're not getting the complicated version, I'm assuming?" Dustin asked. Harry shook his head in response. "Well then, I'm going to bed. I'll get one of the house elves to clean up downstairs. I won't say anything either; so don't worry Harry." Dustin left the room, leaving Harry and Ginny alone.

Harry collapsed tiredly into the chair Dustin had just vacated. He looked at Ginny warily. "I didn't hurt you badly, did I?"

"No, I pulled away before any damage could be done," Ginny replied softly, examining her hands. "Is there anything more you can tell me?"

"Well, now you know why I redecorated my room and was sneaking out at night," Harry said with a chuckle. "That should make you happy."

"Yes, but I have a feeling that there's more to what caused this than alcohol."

Harry's shoulders slumped. "You know I can't tell you what that is."

"Because you don't trust me?" Ginny asked, sounding harsher than she had intended.

"No, because it's a ministry secret," Harry replied.

Ginny sighed. "Will you come sit over here with me? I hate talking to you while I'm looking at your back." Harry obliged and sat down on the bed with Ginny. They both leaned against the pillows next to the headboard, keeping a good foot of distance between them. They sat in silence for a few moments while Ginny tried to gather her thoughts. "So does this happen every night?" she asked finally.

Harry shook his head. "Most of the time it only happens when my body is really relaxed. That's one of the reasons why Quidditch is so good for me; my body is normally sore and achy."

"So has it been happening more or less since you've been here?"

"More. I just can't figure out why. My body is barely keeping up, especially with my lack of sleep," Harry explained.

"And not eating properly," Ginny added.

Harry glared at her but sighed in defeat. "I'm working on it." He looked at Ginny as if he were studying her. She self-consciously tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"What?"

"Why are you so easy to talk to?"

Ginny blushed. "I don't know. I think you're easy to talk to. That is, when you're not brooding or complaining or fighting with me," she teased.

"I'm serious!" Harry exclaimed laughing. "For whatever reason, ever since Sirius died you were the one person I always felt like I could talk to."

"Excluding this past year, of course," Ginny said bitterly.

"We'll never get anywhere if we can't forget about the past," Harry said, closing his eyes.

"So you can forget about it, you just can't forgive the things that happened during it?" Ginny asked accusingly.

Harry opened his eyes and looked at her in defeat. "Gin, can we not do this again tonight? I'm too exhausted to do this now. My entire body is throbbing. I promise if you want to fight with me about it you can yell at me all day tomorrow when I'm not in practice," Harry said sleepily, sliding down on the bed so he was laying down.

Ginny looked down at him. "Do you get any rest during your dreams like that?" she asked quietly.

"No. When it happens it's like I might as well have stayed up all night. The worst part is they completely wear out my body." Harry yawned. "Actually, I should probably go to my room now where it's safe. I could pass out right now; your bed is comfortable." He was faltering and Ginny couldn't help but notice that Harry made no effort to move out of her bed, despite his words. He was fighting to keep his eyes open. Ginny instinctively began to run her hands through his hair. "Gin, you should stop. I'm too comfortable, it could be dangerous," he mumbled groggily.

"It's alright, Harry. I don't think you'd ever do anything to hurt me," Ginny replied tenderly. Harry's eyes fluttered shut; Ginny's ministrations had succeeded in putting him to sleep. Ginny gently pulled his glasses off and set them on her bedside table. Without them he looked so young, so innocent. When his eyes were closed, you couldn't see the haunted look that resided there. The only sign of his encounters with Voldemort was the fading scar on his forehead. Ginny had been watching him sleep for a few moments when she saw his right hand begin to tremble. Hoping she could prevent another incident like the one downstairs, she took his trembling hand in her own. She pulled it up to her mouth and gently kissed it. It took a few minutes, but his body seemed to go back to normal. Ginny smiled before leaning down and placing another light kiss on his forehead. She slid down so she was lying beside him. She closed her eyes, unable to keep a silly grin off her face. No matter what Harry might say, he must trust her somewhat to be able to fall asleep with her like this. Ginny's grin broadened when she felt Harry move behind her and slip an arm across her waist. The logical part of her brain was screaming at her to wake him up; telling her that it was wrong. Her heart, however, was much too content to move an inch, much less wake Harry up. Her inner debate did not go on for too long; soon she was fast asleep.

ZZZXXXZZZXXX

The next morning Ginny woke up feeling strangely refreshed and comfortable. She felt safe, protected, and warm from the body she was tangled up with. "What the…" she mumbled sleepily. Her slight movement seemed to wake Harry up. He opened his eyes slowly, a look of pure content on his face. Well, he looked content for all of three seconds before he realized where he was.

He jumped out of her bed quickly. He saw his glasses and hastily put them on. "Ginny!" he cried angrily. "How could you let me fall asleep here? You saw what happened earlier, I could have hurt you!"

"But you didn't," Ginny said calmly, sitting up. "You started to have another reaction thingy." Harry shot Ginny a venomous look at her description of his condition. "Anyway," she continued, "I took your hand and you calmed down and drifted back into normal sleep. I had complete control of the situation."

Harry's expression softened. "That's the first time I've actually gotten sleep on a night that I've had a terror," Harry admitted.

"Good."

Harry looked at her gratefully. "Actually, that's the best night's sleep I've gotten since, well, ever." He managed to get the words out of his mouth before his face turned crimson.

Ginny couldn't help but giggle. "It was good for me, too!"

Harry's face paled at her joke. "Do you think any of the guys know I stayed here?"

"I don't know. It's doubtful, as long as no one sees you coming down in the same clothes you were wearing yesterday," Ginny said thoughtfully.

Harry groaned. "How is it that something so innocent will get us in a world of trouble if we get caught?"

"They may tease us a bit, but it wouldn't be that bad," Ginny said, enjoying Harry's discomfort.

"That's not what I meant," Harry said. "Us, well um, being an us, is against the rules. You could lose your job and I could get kicked off the team."

It was Ginny's turn to start to panic. "This isn't good. I don't want to lose my job!"

Harry closed his eyes and appeared to be deep in thought. "It's simple. I'll transfigure my clothes. If anyone sees me, I had a question to ask you."

Ginny sighed in relief. "I don't know why I didn't think to use magic. Sometimes I feel like such an idiot."

"At least I was raised muggle, what's your excuse?" Harry teased.

Ginny smiled at Harry's lighthearted joking. "I've only been legal for less than a year. I'm still not used to being able to do magic all the time." Harry chuckled. "But you should head downstairs before everyone is up."

"Right." Harry looked at Ginny awkwardly and walked over to where she was still sitting on her bed. He leaned over and kissed her on her cheek. "Thank you for last night," he said hurriedly before running out of her room with red cheeks.

"Harry Potter, you surprise me every day," Ginny said aloud as she fell backwards onto her bed, rubbing the spot on her cheek that Harry's lips had just touched.

ZZZXXXZZZXXX

By the time Ginny made it downstairs everyone but Harry was there and almost done eating.

"Well if it isn't Sleeping Beauty," Tank teased as Ginny took her place at the table.

"What in Merlin's name are you talking about?" Ginny asked as she poured herself a cup of juice.

"It's a muggle fairytale," Tank explained. "My wife loves them, so we got a bunch for our kids. Basically, Sleeping Beauty was cursed to sleep until true love's kiss woke her up. Or something like that." Ginny fought back a blush.

"Aww, Tank, you're such a softie," MJ said laughing.

"I think he must be a wonderful father," Ginny said.

"He is," Dustin added. "My kids love to go play with his. Our wives have gotten to be friends, and they help each other out when we're on the road."

"That's smart of you," Wesley said. "I'm going to have to find someone for Lori to tag team with, especially if we have more kids."

Jacob grinned. "Well if Chloe and I ever get there I'm sure she'd love to have someone to help her out."

"Are kids on the horizon?" Jeff asked.

"We hope so," Jacob said happily. "But I think we're going to wait until the World Cup is over and I'm living at home again. Plus, she's a little overworked right now at the Ministry."

"With the preparations for the Cup?" Ginny asked.

"Well, yes, but apparently there is something else fairly big happening right now as well. She can't tell me what, but I can see even through her letters that it's stressing her out," Jacob answered.

"And you're okay with your wife having secrets from you like that?" Dustin asked incredulously.

"Well, if your wife was Junior Undersecretary to the Minister you'd accept the fact that she was going to have secrets, too," Jacob said defensively.

"Your wife is Junior Undersecretary to the Minister?" MJ asked.

"Didn't I say earlier?" Jacob asked.

"No," Ginny said quickly, her mind racing.

"Oh, well, she is," Jacob said with a shrug. "I guess we should head out to the pitch."

"Are you guys going to go without Harry?" Ginny asked.

"Well, if you hadn't slept so late you'd know that he was the first one down this morning. He said he needed to think about some things, so he went outside to fly," Wesley replied.

"Oh. Well, have a good practice," Ginny said lamely. They all said their thanks and headed out to where Mason and Harry were waiting on the pitch. _"You've left me with a lot to think about, too, Harry."_

_ZZZXXXZZZXXX_

Later that night, the team was gathered in the living room awaiting their letters. Ginny had disappeared up to her room to retrieve them, and she was purposefully taking an extra long time reappearing. Finally, she reemerged from her room and strode into the living room carrying a large bundle of letters.

"About time!" MJ exclaimed.

"You know patience is a virtue," Ginny said sweetly.

"Well, who said I wanted to be virtuous?" MJ asked. "Give me my letters!"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright. Here are your three letters." MJ snatched them out of her hands and slumped down in a chair to read. "Tank, here you go. Wesley, Jeff, here are your letters." Ginny turned to Jacob and handed him ten letters. "You've got a lot of mail," she commented before turning to Dustin. "Here are yours." Ginny sat down on the couch next to Harry.

"Are you forgetting someone?" Harry asked.

"Oh yes, your two letters," Ginny said innocently, pulling two letters out of her pocket.

Harry quickly took them from her hand. "Thanks," he mumbled before ripping open his first letter.

Ginny, who had recognized the handwriting on both of his envelopes, peered over his shoulder. "And what does Tonks have to say?"

Harry sighed. "Just the same old mess." He looked at Ginny. "Stop reading over my shoulder." Harry put aside the first letter and opened the second one.

"How's Hermione?" Ginny asked sweetly, but Harry didn't respond. She saw his face redden as he quickly read the letter. "What's wrong?" she questioned nervously.

Harry glared at her. "A bit of bad news for you, I'm afraid."

Ginny's eyes widened. "And what is that?"

"You're request for clearance for my file has been rejected. Thanks for asking me if it was okay to apply." Harry suddenly seemed to remember that they were in a room filled with people. He jumped up from the couch and stalked outside, slamming the door behind him.

"What file?" Wesley asked.

Ginny sighed. She didn't know how being honest could hurt her now. "It was a file that would let me know all of the details of his case."

"And you did this behind his back?" Tank asked, shaking his head. Ginny nodded. "Don't you know better than that with him by now? If there's anything he hates it's someone who isn't truthful with him."

"Well, he isn't being truthful with us, either," Jeff said in Ginny's defense.

"It's all just a mess. Every time I think it's getting better, something happens to make it worse. And unfortunately, this time it is my fault. I should have just told him when I got back from the Ministry," Ginny said dejectedly.

"If it makes you feel any better, Chloe was just asking me about you and I was going to tell her how wonderful you are. I bet she would have approved you," Jacob informed her.

"So, Chloe knows what's in Harry's file?" Ginny asked.

"Well, I'm assuming that's why she was asking about you. She does work directly for Minister Bones, so she's probably involved in whatever this is," Jacob said with a shrug. "I still don't see what the big deal is; so he has some secrets. We all have secrets."

Tank noticed the hurt look on Ginny's face. "Guys? Can I speak with Ginny alone?" The rest of the team got up and went up the stairs to their bedrooms. "I know how you're feeling right now."

Ginny shook her head. "Unless you've been in love with that impossible, egotistical, self-involved, emotionally retarded boy since you were ten, I doubt it."

Tank chuckled. "Not exactly what I meant. You remember I didn't tell you that I knew Bill when we first met, right?" Ginny nodded. "Well I did the same thing to Harry."

"Harry wasn't that close with Bill. I don't think he would have cared much one way or the other," Ginny commented.

"Again, not what I meant. I was also at Hogwarts with Harry's parents."

"You were!?!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Yeah, they were sixth years when I was a first. When I finally realized how important trust and honesty were to Harry I took him aside and told him."

"How'd he take it?" Ginny asked curiously.

"He was furious with me for not telling him right away. He was yelling at me, so I cast a silencing charm on him."

"Oh, I know he didn't like that," Ginny said, completely shocked that Tank would do such a thing.

Tank shrugged. "Well, I knew what I had to say would only upset him more, and I needed him to hear me out. So why he silently fumed, I talked. I told him that the only reason I had ever talked with them at all, outside of them being Head Boy and Girl and being in my house, was because my dad and Remus Lupin's mum were like second cousins once removed or some other rubbish like that."

"You're related to Moony?"

"In a very distant way, yes. I did attend his funeral. Shame how he died that day in Hogsmeade."

"I was there," Ginny said softly. "I saw it happen."

"Oh," Tank said lamely. He forced a smile and continued with his story. "But anyway, my family pretty much alienated Remus's after he was bitten. They thought he was too dangerous; I don't really know, it happened before I was born. Despite all that, when I first started Hogwarts, Remus made sure that I was okay. It wasn't like we were friends and hung out, but he knew I was family and he looked out for me. Plus, he felt like it was his duty as a prefect. So, from his periodical checkups I met Harry's parents."

"And how did Harry handle all of that?" Ginny asked.

"Well, when I finally took the silencing charm off, I think he was more interested in learning the little bit that I knew about all of them. After he got his anger out, he was okay. He's told me about how he grew up, and I can honestly say I'm surprised at how well adjusted he is."

Ginny looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he was brought up in a home where they despised him. Even forgetting all of the Voldemort stuff he went through, that's enough to damage any child. The example that the Dursleys set for him was one of anger; anytime he did anything wrong they yelled and screamed. It's only natural that that is his first instinct now when he's upset. I don't even think he realizes how much they affected him," Tank explained.

"When did you get Harry to tell you all of this?" Ginny asked.

"We've taken to talking late at night. Ever since I told him about his parents, I think he's trusted me enough to talk to me," Tank said smiling.

"So you think I should come clean, even though it's technically too late?"

"Can't hurt anything to explain yourself. By now he's probably calmed down some. Your biggest problem is going to be getting through the walls he's put up."

"I'm glad you're here, Tank. Not just for me, but for Harry too. He needs someone like you in his life," Ginny said gratefully.

"You mean like a father figure?"

"Well, yes."

Tank smiled proudly. "I've always said being a dad is the best job in the world. I'd have a thousand kids if Marissa were up to it. But enough about me, why don't you go track down Harry."

Ginny nodded and nervously followed Harry's path outside.

A/N Okay, well this chapter and the next could have been one big chapter, but the next chapter isn't quite ready yet. I think though that it'll be worth the wait. I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season, I know I did. As always, thank you for your reviews… if you haven't noticed by now I don't answer many questions from my reviews in my chapters, but if you ever have a question you really want answered feel free to email me. I'll do my best to try and answer. And my beta raised this question so I thought I would go ahead and address it here… The second time Harry started to tremble Ginny was able to calm him down before he got too far into his dream. The first time he was too far gone before she noticed what was going on. I hope that makes everything clear!

And after I tried to load this once I've discovered that I'm having problems with my horizontal line breaks again, so that is what the XXXZZZs are for. I just wanted to go ahead and get this chapter up!


	13. Clearing the Air

A/N Sorry for the wait, my life is a little hectic right now and I haven't had time to write much. The bad news is that this is a short chapter; the good news is that the next one is the longest yet. The next update will probably be in a week, maybe sooner if things start to clear up…

* * *

Ginny walked hesitantly onto the pitch. She saw Harry leaning against the base of one of the goal posts and headed in his direction. It took her almost five minutes at her slow pace to reach him, and she used the time to gather her thoughts and her nerves. When she reached Harry, he gave no sign that he noticed her arrival.

"Can I sit down?" Ginny asked.

"You're going to do what you want regardless of what I have to say," Harry said dryly. Ginny ignored his comment and sat down next to him. She pulled a handful of grass out of the ground and began to play with it. "Are you here to talk, or not?" Harry asked.

"Are you going to start yelling?" Ginny countered.

Harry sighed. "No."

"Are you going to be honest with me?" Ginny asked.

"Depends on what you ask."

"Can I ask which one ratted me out?"

"Hermione. She asked me if it was something I really wanted. She assumed I would have known," Harry replied, not looking at Ginny.

"You should have. I honestly intended to tell you, I was just trying to work up the nerve," Ginny admitted. "I never thought the process would progress that quickly; I thought I still had time. I knew that if you didn't want me to know it would end it on the spot, and I wanted to keep a little bit of hope."

"Hermione will never approve you," Harry informed her.

"Does she hate my family that much? We were such good friends at one time."

"It's not that; it's because having clearance for my file would also give you clearance for her file," Harry said.

"What's in her file that's so secretive?"

Harry finally looked over at Ginny. "Do you really think it's my place to tell you that?"

"You can't blame a witch for trying."

"I'm sorry I got so angry before. But after everything we talked about I thought we had gotten past lies," Harry said with a sigh.

"Harry, aren't you being a bit hypocritical? I mean, I don't tell you one thing, but you've got enough secrets to fill an enchanted journal."

"But my secrets…"

"Yes, I know all about your secrets," Ginny interrupted. "But that doesn't mean there aren't things you can tell me."

Harry turned his attention back to the sky above them. Ginny thought he looked like he was a million miles away. Finally, after a long period of silence, Harry offered Ginny one of the letters. She quickly took it out of his hands and recognized Tonks's handwriting.

_Wotcher, Harry!_

_Greetings from your favorite Auror and bodyguard! You have to be going stir crazy stuck in that house all of the time. I know I would be. I mean, I know you're out playing Quidditch all of the time, but you haven't left the house since you moved in. Actually, I take that back. You haven't left the house during the day since you moved in. You should have just told Mr. Perry or Ginny about your night problems from the beginning. I'm still furious with you for traveling alone like that, as is Minister Bones. She started to blame those of us responsible for keeping an eye on the house, so if I get in trouble, I'll have your head! You know how dangerous it is._

_On that front, things have been pretty typical around here. I think the total for threats on your life this week is around 50. There was a threat on the life of the Dursleys this week as well. Whoever sent that in must not know your history very well. To think that the way to get you to do what they wanted was to threaten the Dursleys is insane! (I'm not even going to waste my time describing to you what that particular lunatic wanted.)_

_Charlie is doing well. He's still working much more than he should, but then again, so am I. We talked about the future the other day, not something that happens often. I'm still trying to convince him that he deserves a future. Hopefully, one day, we'll settle down and start a family. I'd love to be a mum._

_Fred and George are also doing well. The shop is flourishing. Last time I was there, I casually dropped your name. Their ill will towards you seems to be decreasing some. After I talked them out of sending you back your original investment, they seemed to be more open to seeing you sometime. I wouldn't count on them inviting you out to dinner or anything, but I think the beginnings of a bridge are being built. George is getting really serious with Katie. If I had to guess, I'd say they were engaged._

_Arthur is his fabulous self, as always. You know I eat lunch with him once a week and that it's normally the highlight of my day. He's been much more chipper lately; he won't tell me what, but I think something's changed. I can't wait until the day that I'm officially a part of his family._

_No change on the Ron front. He still holes himself up in his office all day long, and then goes straight home. I think that Jeff was one of his only real friends, and with him in the house I think he's even more lonely than usual. I wish you would just try and talk to him again now that he's calmed down some. You're not the easiest person to talk to when you're angry, either. As always, I'm pleading with you to talk to him._

_And finally there's Ginny. For once, you should be the one telling me how she's doing. I bet you never thought that would happen again in this lifetime. Things happen for a reason; don't blow your second chance. Secrets aren't going to make things any easier. If you really want to make things work, you're going to have to forget about all of the hurt you've experienced and open up to her. I spoke to her the other day, and while I'm still scared she's going to hurt you again, she really seems to care. I actually feel a little bad; I laid into her a bit for deserting you. I know I wasn't being completely fair, but when I finished she was even more determined to stick by your side than before. Take what you've learned this year and don't screw up again!_

_I guess that's it for this week. Do me a favor and get in trouble again so I can come stay with you. I'll talk to you again soon!_

_With love,_

_Tonks_

Ginny wasn't quite sure what to make of the letter. She looked at Harry questioningly, and noticed that he was blushing and refusing to look at her. "Harry," Ginny said tentatively, her heart racing. "Harry, look at me." Harry slowly pulled his head out of the clouds and turned to look at her. "Have you been keeping tabs on our family through Tonks for the last year?" Harry nodded sheepishly. "Why didn't you just try and talk to us?"

"Because I didn't think you wanted to see me," Harry admitted.

"All this time I thought you didn't care," Ginny said, more to herself than to Harry.

"But I did care… I cared so much it was killing me to stay away," Harry insisted.

Ginny's eyes met Harry's and she was overcome with a feeling of now or never. "Did you love me, Harry?" she asked quietly, never breaking their gaze.

Harry's eyes widened in shock from her straightforwardness. "Yes," he whispered.

"For how long?" Ginny asked, relying on nerves of steal not to pass out.

"I think I started to fancy you towards the end of sixth year," he admitted.

"And you never said anything all that time?"

"I thought it was too dangerous, that I had too much on my plate already. And Hermione said you were over me, and I didn't want you to feel awkward around me. Plus, we had become such good friends that I didn't want to mess that up…"

"You're rambling, Harry," Ginny said calmly. "But you did finally ask me out."

"Yes and we both know how well that turned out," Harry replied sarcastically.

"Harry," Ginny warned.

Harry sighed. "Lupin and Dumbledore both knew, even though I had never said anything to anyone. They said they could tell by the way I watched you. Lupin told me that I was making a mistake by staying away, and that I was lucky no other bloke had snatched you up yet. He said if I wasn't careful I'd lose my chance. So I just bit the bullet and did it. And I was having such a good time until I picked that fight."

"So why'd you do it?" Ginny asked, her voice devoid of emotion.

"I think I was scared."

"Of what, having a good time?"

"Well, yes," Harry said. "My only other date had been with Cho, and that was disastrous. I didn't know how to act when things were going well. And then I was scared you weren't having as good of a time as I was or that you were and I was going to screw it up somehow. I didn't want to lose you, even if it meant I couldn't have you."

"You're not making any sense."

"I never claimed that my thought process did make sense," Harry said dryly.

"So when did you realize all of these things?"

"Sometime over the last year. I realized that not having you in my life at all hurt even more than not having Ron in my life. I realized that I missed you terribly; our conversations, your jokes, the way you laughed, the way your eyes danced when you were up to something… I realized that was what loving someone was. I had been in love with you and never really known it until after I had completely screwed it up.

"We both made mistakes," Ginny said, her voice still strong. "And we both made incorrect assumptions about each other. We should have just trusted in what we felt for each other."

"What did you feel for me, Gin?" Harry asked timidly.

Ginny threw her hands in the air in frustration. "Merlin help me, I loved you. Despite your stubbornness and temper, regardless of how standoffish you were. It started sometime during my fourth year, and I tried my hardest to forget about you. That's why once we started to become close there were no more guys; none of them were you." Harry's eyes shifted downward; Ginny wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or disbelief. "Do you want a second chance like Tonks said?" she asked, her voice shaking for the first time. Harry's focus remained on the ground in front of him. "Look at me!" Ginny said forcefully.

Harry obligingly lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Yes." Before Ginny could even absorb his reply, Harry had closed the space between them. He was holding her face in his hands and his lips were crushed against her own in a bruising kiss. Ginny responded immediately and soon they were in a battle for control of the kiss. Ginny felt his arms wrap around her back, and she slid both of her hands through his hair. She felt Harry's tongue along her bottom lip and she opened her mouth to give him entrance. The innocence of their first kiss only a few days past was long forgotten; this kiss was full of passion that had been refused for years. Ginny lay back on the grass, pulling Harry's body with hers. The feeling of their bodies intimately pressed together was enough to drive Ginny mad. She lost all sense of reason and all track of time. All she knew was Harry's mouth on her lips, on her neck, on her ear… Ginny was brought back into reality when Harry pulled himself off of her body and rolled onto the ground next to her, breathing heavily.

"I'm sorry," Harry murmured between breaths.

Ginny rolled over on her side in shock. She couldn't believe that after what they had shared he was going to regress back into the mindset from their bathroom encounter. "What?" she asked, glaring at him.

"I lost control there; I didn't want you to feel like I was trying to take advantage of you," Harry explained quietly.

Ginny laughed in relief. "Trust me, Harry, I was a more than willing partner in that."

Harry rolled over so he could look at her. "Good," he said with a grin. "I'd hate to think that you didn't enjoy that as much as I did."

"I think it's fairly safe to say that I did," Ginny replied with a grin to match. She leaned forward and placed a soft, reassuring kiss on Harry's lips.

They stared at each other for a moment before Harry's smile turned into a frown. "So, what now?" he asked hesitantly.

"Well, I guess we should take things slowly," Ginny began before Harry began to shake his head.

"Did you already forget that we can't be together right now? We could very easily both lose our jobs over this," Harry said sullenly.

"Oh yeah." Silence crept back between them as the reality of the situation hit. "Well, I guess if we waited this long we can wait a little bit longer," Ginny said, although her voice wasn't nearly as confident as her words.

"Right," Harry said, smiling. Ginny could see, though, that the smile didn't reach his eyes. "I mean, how hard can it be to wait until after the World Cup to tryand be together? I've been waiting for like two years, and you've been waiting even longer than that. We can do this. It'll also give us some time to break things to your family and try and settle any unresolved issues."

"You're just scared of what Ron will say," Ginny teased.

"Maybe."

"Don't worry about Ron. I'll talk to him."

"Gin, do you still want to come with me to see Hermione?"

Ginny nodded. "Now more than ever. I haven't announced anything yet, but you have Wednesday and Thursday morning off next week. If you can behave, we can go then."

"There's a whole new sense to behaving right now than there was before."

"You're right," Ginny agreed. "But we're going to have to do this. We can be professional." Ginny looked around, noticing how dark it had become. "We should go back inside, they're going to be wondering what happened to us." Harry stood up and offered Ginny a helping hand which she took willingly. She smiled when he didn't release her hand until they were in view of the manor. Ginny was about to head to the door before Harry stopped her.

"Gin, I feel like I need to make things clear right now," he said slowly. Ginny nodded curiously. "I've always been rubbish at expressing my feelings, but I think that if we're going to do this you need to know exactly where I stand. I'm pretty sure that I was in love with you. I mean, you're the only person I've ever felt that way about, so I can't be sure, but I think I was. The thing is, I still love you, but I went a year without even speaking to you. I'm not sure that I'm in love with you anymore. I don't know how these things work; I don't know if that's something that can last on its own for that long. I think it's going to be something we have to work to get back, like our trust."

"I can understand that, Harry," Ginny answered. "I just hope you don't realize that you were never even in love with me to begin with." With those words, Ginny pulled together her emotions and walked back inside the house, leaving Harry outside to try and figure out what he was feeling.

"How'd it go?" Tank asked when Ginny walked back into the living room.

Ginny realized that her appearance had to look very ruffled. "It went well," she replied, fighting a blush.

Tank looked her up and down and grinned. "It looks that way."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "We were just sitting on the grass talking."

"Uh huh. I'd just try and keep your hands to yourself as long as you're living in the house. I love all of the guys here, but I wouldn't put it past any of them to use you or Harry for their own personal gain."

"Are you serious?" Ginny asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. Quidditch players tend to have wonderful personalities, but they're a very competitive bunch. In this business, you always have to watch your back; your best friend could turn on you in a moment if it would further their own career. I've never really had anything done to me, but my brother lost his position to one of the reserves his second year on the Arrows due to some bribery and blackmail behind the scenes."

"So basically, you're telling me that if any of the guys were to find out how much Harry and I cared about each other, they wouldn't use it to get me fired, they'd use it to further their careers?" Ginny asked in disbelief.

"I'm not saying they all would, just thatsome of themmight. I'm trying to get you to be careful is all," Tank replied. "But now that I've given you even more to think about, I'm going to bed. Do you think Harry will be in soon?" Ginny nodded. "Good. Well then, good night."

"Good night," Ginny called as Tank disappeared up the stairs. She headed up to her room lost in thought. She determined that the new focus of her job for the next week would be to make sure that she kept herself busy and away from Harry at all times. As much as she liked to think she was responsible, she just didn't know how well she could refrain herself if she was alone in a room with Harry. "_This is going to be a long week."_

_

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A/N I was completely overwhelmed by the response from the last chapter! I'd never gotten such an immediate response to a chapter before.... THANK YOU! You guys really put a smile on my face! School starts again on Monday, so I'm trying to enjoy the last of my break before getting back to reality...


	14. Vacation From Reality

_Day After Voldemort's Destruction_

_Hermione watched as Harry lay passed out in his hospital bed clasping his hand in her own. He had done it; he had destroyed Voldemort. It had almost killed him in the process, but he had escaped with his life. So many others weren't as lucky: Kingsley Shacklebolt had died, along with Emmeline Vance and Mad-Eye Moody; Bill Weasley had taken a killing curse meant for Harry to buy him the few final second he needed to finish off Voldemort, and Dumbledore had also sacrificed himself for Harry. The most painful death, however, was that of Molly Weasley, who died protecting her children, biological and otherwise. Hermione knew that Ron and Ginny must be absolutely devastated. She could completely relate to their pain, but she had to stay away. If she didn't, Ron would be able to tell that she still loved him, that she had lied to him. It was her love they kept her away._

_Hermione gasped as she felt Harry's finger move within her hand. "Come on, Harry," she urged him. "You're all I have left, I need you." Harry's eyes fluttered open and Hermione embraced him in a tight hug. "Oh, Harry! I've been so worried!"_

"_Then please let me breath," Harry whispered hoarsely._

"_I'm so sorry," Hermione cried as she released her grip on his neck. "I'm just so glad to have my brother back."_

"_I couldn't leave you behind," Harry assured her._

"_I missed you so much!"_

_Harry could feel his strength starting to return. "I missed you, too."_

"_I don't know what I would have done if you had died, Harry," Hermione whispered._

"_Let's not think about that. I'm here now and that's what is important. I love you, Hermione. I'd be lost without you."_

_Hermione leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Harry's cheek. "I love you, too."_

* * *

It was apparent to Ginny that Harry had received a message from Tank similar to her own when he started to leave rooms before they could ever be alone with one another. He avoided her gaze like a curse and she was beginning to doubt what he felt for her. With the Opening Ceremony for the Cup coming soon Ginny found herself engulfed with work. She spent most of her time in her room or running around the Ministry. Thankfully, the entire team was pronounced to have a clean bill of health by the team healer, but that didn't mean Ginny had nothing to worry about. Every time she closed her eyes her mind was filled with the little details that still needed to be sorted out. Her work load was only increased when Mr. Perry informed her that there was going to be a big party for the team before the Opening Ceremony. She was grateful that she was only in charge of overseeing the preparations instead of planning them.

When Ginny realized that a week had passed and it was already time for her trip with Harry, she almost had a nervous breakdown. She had barely spoken two words to Harry since Tank had frightened them so badly after their encounter on the pitch. She wasn't sure if he even still wanted her to go with him to see Hermione. She decided the Tuesday night before they were scheduled to leave the house she had to find a way to hold a real conversation with Harry. She left her room and went downstairs, where she found the entire team sitting in the living room talking.

"Well, well, look who's finally decided to rejoin the world of the living," MJ said when Ginny appeared.

Ginny smiled at him. "I've been swamped in work lately, but if you'd like to take care of some of it for me I'd love to hang out with you guys more."

"No thanks," MJ replied.

"We have missed having you around, though," Tank added. "Do you think things will be calming down anytime soon?"

Ginny sighed. "Not until after you guys really start playing; then I'll just have to worry about keeping track of you lot."

"Not that that's an easy task, either," Wesley commented.

"We'll try not to get ourselves lost or anything since we like you," Jacob added teasingly.

"Well I would appreciate that. Except for you MJ; you can feel free to get lost at any time," Ginny said laughing.

MJ stood up from his chair, pretending to be upset. "Well, I know when I'm not wanted," he said huffily as he walked up the stairs to his room.

"I still need to pack so I'm going up too," Wesley said, following his roommate up the stairs.

"I guess I should, too," Dustin added. He walked upstairs followed by Jeff, Tank, and Jacob. Ginny looked over shyly to where Harry was on the couch.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey," Harry replied.

"Did you still want me to come with you tomorrow?"

Harry frowned. "Do you still want to come tomorrow?"

"Of course! I just wasn't sure if you'd changed your mind after not really talking to me all week," Ginny said quickly.

Harry blushed. "I didn't trust myself to be around you and I didn't want to get either one of us in trouble," Harry explained. He got off the couch and slowly walked towards Ginny, casting a nervous glance towards the stairs. "Because all I've wanted to do all week was this." He leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.

When he pulled away Ginny was grinning. "Not me." Harry looked completely offended. Ginny smiled at him reassuringly. "I wanted to do this." She wrapped her armed around his neck and pulled him into a much deeper, much more passionate kiss. When she finally pulled away in fear of getting caught, Harry's grin matched her own.

"Now I really can't wait to leave tomorrow," Harry said. "We can be together out of the house, with no worries about someone watching. We could pretend that this world doesn't exist for a day or so…"

"Now I like the sound of that," Ginny replied coyly. "I should probably go pack because if I'm in this room with you by myself any longer I won't be held accountable for my actions."

"I agree," Harry said. "But just to be clear, we do still have things to talk about."

"I don't think I could forget that if I wanted to," Ginny sighed.

"Well then, I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Harry."

"Good night."

* * *

The next morning Harry and Ginny were the last two to leave the house so no one would see them leaving together. When the last person left, Ginny looked to Harry for instructions on how to get to his flat.

"So how are we getting there?" she asked.

Harry grinned. "Well, it's not too far from here. It's actually in a muggle neighborhood; less people who know me that way."

"That's nice and all, but it doesn't answer my question as to how we're getting there," Ginny replied smiling.

"Well, have you ever ridden on a motorbike?" Harry asked innocently.

Ginny's grin broadened. "Do you mean you plan to take me out on that illegal, flying motorbike of yours?" she asked.

"Well, we can't exactly fly it in broad daylight, but if you play your cards right we may be able to fly a bit tonight," Harry replied.

Ginny stepped closer to Harry. "Well then, I'll just have to behave then, won't I?"

Harry wrapped his arms around Ginny's waist. "Well I wouldn't get too carried away, some misbehaving is always good." He leaned over and kissed her. "Now let's get out of this house before we both go crazy from paranoia."

"You lead the way." Harry took Ginny's hand and pulled her out the front entrance of the house. He pulled something small out of his pocket and set it on the ground. He enlarged the item and the motorbike was in front of them. Harry handed Ginny the helmet before getting on the bike.

"Hop on," he urged her, grinning. Ginny looked at him hesitantly. "What kind of a Gryffindor are you?" That was all of the encouragement Ginny needed. She got on the bike behind Harry and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Let's go!"

Thirty minutes later Harry pulled into a parking lot outside of a tall building. Ginny reluctantly released her grip on Harry's waist and pulled the helmet off of her head. She got off the bike, and Harry grabbed her hand and began to lead her towards the building. Ginny practically had to run to keep up with Harry's pace. He held open the door for her and ushered her into the building.

"It's three floors up," Harry explained as he walked over to the stairs.

"Don't you get tired of doing all of this the muggle way?" Ginny asked.

"Well, Hermione and I were both raised as muggles, so it really wasn't that much of an adjustment for us," Harry explained. "The anonymity is worth it. See, we're here already." Harry pulled a key out of his pocket and opened the door. "This is it."

Ginny walked inside and found herself standing in a very modestly decorated living room. She noticed a small kitchen to her left and a hallway on the right. She looked over at Harry and smiled. "It's lovely."

Harry blushed. "It's not much. Neither one of us is here very much, so there's no need for a big, lavish flat. Hermione should be here around lunch time. I didn't tell her that you were coming. She said she had a surprise for me, so I just said I had one for her, too."

Ginny looked at him and grinned. "Well won't she be surprised." She looked at Harry. "Aren't you going to give me the grand tour?"

"This is the living room," Harry said gesturing to the room they were in. "That's the kitchen, and the bedrooms are down that hall."

"Exactly how many bedrooms are there?" Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Two, which was why I was planning on sleeping on the couch," Harry explained nervously.

Ginny let out a giggle. "We can share, Harry. It's not like we haven't before."

"Yes, but that was before I knew how you feel about me and before I admitted how I feel about you. After our talk it was like this giant weight was lifted off my chest, and I just want to tell the world how I'm feeling. But I couldn't because of our situation, and now that I don't have any restrictions I'm scared I won't be able to restrain myself," Harry said quickly.

Ginny laughed again. "I know what you mean." She sat down on the couch and motioned for Harry to sit down with her. "So before either one of us gets too carried away acting on our feelings, would you like to talk?"

Harry nodded and sat down beside her. "I guess I should start by apologizing for not trusting you."

Ginny stared at Harry with wide eyes and fought to keep her jaw from dropping. "I don't think I've ever expected you to apologize nearly as much as you have."

Harry looked at her defensively. "I've grown up, I can admit when I'm wrong."

"Well, you were right in not trusting me. After all, I didn't trust in you," Ginny admitted quietly.

Harry sighed. "I've come to realize that right after Voldemort was destroyed, we all made decisions that changed our lives and none of us were really in a state to do so. If I don't want to be held responsible for all of my actions during that time, I have to be able to forgive other people for theirs. Plus, knowing that you never knew about the letters changes a lot; it just took some time for that information to really sink in.

Ginny looked at Harry, too stunned to speak. She had never heard him sound so astute, so, well, she couldn't quite place what or who he sounded like. But in that moment she knew that there was still so much that had happened to Harry that she didn't know about. It was just a matter of whether or not she would ever find out what it was, and how long she could stay in a relationship with Harry without knowing.

She was finally able to regain control of her voice. "I'm sorry, too, for what it's worth."

"It's not the forgiving that's really an issue with me," Harry said slowly. "It's the forgetting. It's hard to forget that the people who meant the world to you so easily believed the worst about you. I know that the evidence appeared to be stacked against me, but it was a real dagger to the heart to see how so many people believed that I stole Hermione away from Ron."

Ginny wasn't sure how to respond so she changed the subject. "Why are there so many threats on your life?"

Harry was quiet for a moment, as if he were trying to determine exactly how much he should tell her. Right as Ginny was about to retract her question Harry answered her. "Because they believe that I'm the most powerful wizard in the world and that I'm wasting my life playing Quidditch, for one thing. They blame me for the rogue Death Eaters that just won't seem to go away. They think that I can just round them all up with a wave of my wand. They just don't understand that things aren't that simple…"

"So they write into the Ministry to threaten you?" Ginny asked in disbelief.

"Well, some of them are asking the Ministry to use force to make me become an Auror," Harry explained. "Others are threatening my life if I don't help them do something."

"Like what?"

"Well, I think I read one once from someone who wanted me to help them bring peace to their town. I think there was another that actually threatened me if I didn't marry their daughter. Most of the people who want me to do something specifically for them sound like they should be checked into the permanent ward at St. Mungo's."

"That doesn't sound too dangerous," Ginny said, looking for a silver lining.

"Well, the worst ones are from old, pure blood families. They claim that I ruined their reputations, or that I was responsible for the end of their family line, or some other rubbish like that. They normally call for the Ministry to punish me for my actions before they decide to take action themselves."

"How long has this been going on?" Ginny asked.

Harry scrunched his brow in thought. "Actually, I don't know. I was a drunken mess for so long after graduation that I didn't really find out about any of this for a while. I'm not sure when it actually started, but Tonks likes to keep track of it for me. I think it's some sort of running joke for her. Death may just be the next great adventure, but it's definitely not a joke."

"I'm sorry to bring up such a depressing subject when we could be doing so many other much more pleasant things," Ginny said, forcing a smile.

"Like what?" Harry asked with a grin.

"Snogging."

"You know, I like the way your mind works," Harry said softly as he leaned in to kiss her. Ginny responded to the kiss for a moment before pulling back. "Is something wrong?" Harry asked.

Ginny blushed slightly. "It's just that, well, I haven't seen Hermione in over a year, and I'd hate for this to be the first thing she sees of me..." Harry looked at her questioningly. "She might not like to walk in on us going at it on her couch," Ginny explained.

"Good point," Harry said dejectedly, pulling away from her.

"Which is why I thought we should go to your bedroom," Ginny added.

Harry's eyes widened and he jumped up from the couch. "You want to go into my bedroom?"

"Well, I think we can control ourselves enough to be in the same room as a bed," Ginny said nonchalantly.

"Right," Harry said quickly, extending a hand to her. She took it and he led her down the hall to his bedroom. Ginny couldn't help but gasp when she saw his room. It looked almost identical to his room in the manor, but now knowing the reason behind it made it that much more depressing. "I'm sorry, we don't have to be in here," Harry said quietly, dropping her hand.

Ginny shook her head and walked over to him, putting her arms around his neck. "I just hate that you have to go through this," she whispered before meeting his lips with her own. Harry quickly responded to her kiss, and before she realized what had happened they fell together onto Harry's bed, never breaking their contact.

* * *

Ginny wasn't aware of the amount of time she and Harry had been in his room, nor did she care. She was, however, very aware of how even the slightest touch from Harry sent sparks coursing through her body, and that if they kept at their current pace uninterrupted for much longer things would be getting much more intimate. As soon as the thought crossed her mostly otherwise occupied mind Ginny heard a noise coming from the living room. She reluctantly pulled away from Harry, knowing that their time alone was over.

"Harry?" she heard Hermione's voice call. Ginny hadn't realized until that moment exactly how much she had missed her friend; her heart began to race at the mere sound of her voice.

"I'm in here," Harry called, separating himself from Ginny on the bed. "I'll be out in a minute." Ginny couldn't help but smirk as she saw how much she had affected Harry. "She's got a bad habit of talking to me from the other side of the flat through closed doors," Harry whispered to Ginny.

"That's fine. I'm just so excited I had to come home early, I couldn't stand it a minute longer," Hermione's voice continued. "Ever since I got back from my last trip to Greece something had been bothering me and I couldn't figure out what it was. And then last week I was eating lunch and it finally hit me. Even after all this time I had never really thought about the fact that there are probably so many children like us, who had their families destroyed in the war. I felt like I needed to know what happened to them, so I began to do some research and I found out that most of them are in orphanages!" Hermione was talking so quickly that even if Harry had been in a condition to leave the room and greet her he couldn't have gotten a word in edgewise. Ginny was savoring the moment of being able to listen to Hermione speak freely and was absorbing all of the information she could. "So I started to think about it, and after much deliberation and research I've decided that I'm going to adopt one of them. I feel like I should give a home to someone who lost their family to the same people that took away my ability to have one." Ginny's jaw dropped and Harry's face paled.

"Oh shit," Harry whispered, standing up from the bed.

"Harry, are you all right? You're being awfully quiet," Hermione's voice called, getting closer by the second.

"Hermione, I have to tell you something," Harry said, opening the door and stepping out into the hall.

"Well, aren't you going to react to my news at all first?" she asked huffily.

"Do you remember when I mentioned a surprise?" Harry continued, ignoring her comment.

"Well, yes, but what does that have to do with my adopting a child whose family was killed by Voldemort?" Hermione inquired.

"I brought Ginny home with me," Harry said quickly.

Hermione seemed to notice Harry's mussed appearance for the first time. "Would I be correct in assuming that means she's here right now?" she asked warily. Harry nodded feebly and Ginny figured that was her cue to make an appearance.

She walked out into the hallway where Hermione stood, glaring at Harry. "Hi, Hermione," she said quietly. "It's been too long, far too long."

Hermione looked at her guardedly before finally responding. "Indeed it has. I'm assuming you just heard everything I just said?"

"I did," Ginny replied quietly.

Hermione sighed. "Well then, I guess we have a lot to talk about." Hermione walked down the hall and into the kitchen. Ginny looked at Harry, trying to find some hint as to what she should say or do, but Harry only shrugged and walked towards the kitchen. Ginny took a claming breath and followed him. Together they sat down at the kitchen table while Hermione wordlessly prepared a pot of tea. Ginny felt like it was the longest few minutes of her life. Finally, Hermione sat down at the table with the tea kettle and cups. Unfortunately, no one seemed to know quite what to say so the silence continued. Ginny found it humorous that for the first time in over a year she was sitting at a table with her best friend and the man she loved, yet she couldn't think of one thing to say.

"You look good," Hermione said finally.

"Thanks, so do you," Ginny replied honestly. It was obvious that work and travel agreed with Hermione.

"Although I bet you look even better when you don't look quite so ruffled," Hermione added. Ginny looked at her in horror, but when she saw the cheeky grin on Hermione's face she couldn't help but smile.

"Too true," she replied, laughing.

"So Harry finally got his act together?" Hermione asked, completely ignoring Harry's presence in the room.

"Well, it's not quite that simple, but yes, more or less," Ginny said, grinning at Harry.

"Okay, I am sitting right here," Harry spoke up. "And I have a feeling both of you would rather talk about something other than me."

"I think you underestimate your conversational value," Hermione teased. "I could just talk about you all day long, of course, depending on who I was talking to."

"Me too," Ginny added. "Every time Harry isn't in a room he's all we talk about back at the manor."

"Ha ha," Harry said sarcastically. "Don't use me as a scapegoat to avoid something."

Hermione shot Harry a dirty look before starting to talk again. "I guess you want to talk about what you heard." Ginny nodded. "Well, during the battle at Hogsmeade I was hit with a curse that took away my ability to have children. I've spent countless hours researching the curse, but it was developed by Death Eaters for that one purpose, and there is no counter curse. I know that right now probably isn't the best time in my life to start a family, but I'm going to transfer out of the Department of Mysteries and into something that will keep me at home more. I'm thinking about Magical Creatures, but I don't know, I could really go into just about anything…"

"Hermione," Harry interrupted, "You're rambling and straying off topic."

Hermione looked startled but recovered quickly. "Right, sorry. But there are so many children who lost their families like Harry and me, and I want to help make their lives better. At least I was of age when my parents were killed; so many of these children will never even remember their faces. I figure that I'll take one in to start with, and then when I'm settled and more financially secure I'll look into taking in more." She let out a long sigh. "This is just something that I have to do… for me as much as for them."

"I think it's very noble of you," Ginny said quietly. "Not many people would take in children with the state of the world as it is right now, much less children who probably have psychological issues."

Hermione beamed at her. "You really think so?"

Ginny nodded. "I do."

"I do, too," Harry added. "Does this mean you'll be moving out of our flat?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry Harry, but I'll have to! This place is great for us since we're never here, but it isn't right for raising a child. But I'm not leaving right away, and I'll help you pay the rent until you figure out what you want to do."

Harry waved his hand in the air dismissively. "You know the money's not an issue for me. I just want you to be happy." Harry gave Hermione a very forced smile. "Plus, you know having a child live with me isn't the safest thing in the world."

"Harry, that's not the reason I'm moving out. Any child would be lucky to have you as a guardian," Hermione insisted.

"It may not be the reason why, but it's still true," Harry said quietly.

Ginny was observing their exchange carefully. She didn't want to step on any toes, but at the same time she was dying of curiosity. When silence filled the room again she decided to take advantage of it.

"Is this why you broke up with Ron?"

"What?" Hermione asked, looking very nervous.

"Well," Ginny continued, "it's just about the only thing that would make sense. You didn't leave him for Harry, and as far as I know you're not seeing anyone else right now, either. The day after you were hit with the curse you broke things off with Ron, saying you didn't love him anymore."

Hermione looked down at the table, tears in her eyes. "I loved Ron very much. All I ever wanted was for him to be happy."

"I hate to tell you this, but he's pretty miserable," Ginny said softly.

The tears began to fall freely down Hermione's cheeks. "I knew he would never end things with me because I was barren, but it was for the best. We spent many late nights talking about how we wanted a big family; a full house. He deserves to be with someone that can give that to him."

"But all he really ever wanted was you, Hermione," Ginny said. "Imagine how he felt, believing that you didn't love him anymore… It destroyed him." Harry placed a comforting arm around Hermione's shoulder as she cried against him. The small gesture touched Ginny, and it was obvious how many nights the pair had spent in a similar fashion.

"I made my choice, Ginny," Hermione said firmly, pulling out of Harry's grasp. "I saw what it did to him, and I didn't change my mind. The only way he could move on with his life was if he thought I didn't love him, and one day he'll meet someone else who can give him everything I can't."

"It's not like we haven't been through this before, Gin," Harry added tenderly. "I actually came really close to telling him myself, but when the letters were sent back I just didn't think he'd ever be able to talk to me again."

"You can't tell him, Ginny. You have to swear to me that you won't," Hermione said forcefully. "It's not your place, and if we've all survived this long I think we'll be fine."

"I hate this," Ginny said.

"This is what you asked for when you wanted to know what was going on in my life," Harry said honestly.

Ginny took a deep breath. "I'll keep your secret."

Hermione looked into her eyes. "If you ever considered yourself to be my friend you'll swear to me."

"I swear, Hermione. It's going to kill me to keep all of this from Ron, but I'll respect your decision."

"Thank you," Hermione said quietly. "I'm in no mood to cook now so I'm going to go pick us up something to eat."

"Thanks," Harry said gratefully. Hermione had gotten up from the table and turned to leave the flat when Ginny couldn't hold her tongue any longer.

"Hermione," she called, following her out of the kitchen.

"Yes?"

"Is always being right this important?"

Hermione looked startled. "What do you mean?"

"Is being right so important to you that you can't recognize that you made a mistake? Neither one of you is as happy now as you were together, and it's in your power to fix it all."

"I just…" Hermione's voice trailed off. "I should go." She left the flat, slamming the door behind her.

Ginny walked back into the kitchen and sat down with Harry. "I still won't tell, but I just couldn't let her go on believing that she made the right decision. She's living in denial."

"You're not telling me anything I don't already know," Harry said with a sigh. "Or anything I haven't told her before, actually."

"You two are both just stubborn people," Ginny teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"And you Weasleys aren't?"

"Point taken," Ginny replied laughing.

"I think that's our biggest problem. We're all too stubborn to admit our mistakes so we all just stay miserable."

"I don't know," Ginny mused. "You and I seem to be admitting a lot of mistakes lately."

"That's true… So Ron and Hermione are the stubborn ones?"

"Yep. There's nothing wrong with the two of us," Ginny proclaimed.

Harry burst out laughing. "Oh yeah, there's _nothing_ wrong with us."

"Okay, maybe there is something wrong with you, just nothing wrong with me," Ginny corrected.

"Well there's no doubt in my mind that there's something wrong with me, but I don't think you're quite as perfect as you'd like to think," Harry said, still laughing.

"Oh yeah? What's so wrong with me?" Ginny asked.

"Well, you have a terrible temper for one thing," Harry said.

"No worse than yours," Ginny pointed out.

"Okay, well you're stubborn."

"We already decided that Ron and Hermione were the stubborn ones," Ginny reminded him. Harry rolled his eyes. "What's wrong; can't think of any more of my flaws?" Ginny teased.

Harry's eyes lit up. "I just remembered your biggest flaw of all."

"And what's that?"

Harry leaned over and whispered into her ear. "You fell in love with me."

Ginny smiled at him warmly and leaned forward so their noses were almost touching.. "You're right; that was pretty stupid of me." She closed the space between them and kissed him softly. "But you're guilty of the same crime."

"I fell in love with myself?" Harry asked innocently.

"No, you prat!" Ginny exclaimed, slapping him playfully on the arm. "You fell in love with me."

"I guess I did," Harry replied, smiling. "Although I can't for the life of me seem to remember why."

"I think I know," Ginny said. She put her hand behind Harry's neck and pulled him towards her. His lips met hers eagerly, and she lost herself in the moment. The sound of someone clearing their throat loudly brought Ginny back into reality.

"So I guess that answers any lingering questions on where the two of you stand," Hermione said with a smirk.

"Well, not really," Ginny said sheepishly. "We've admitted how we feel about each other, but our timing is pretty sour."

"Why? Haven't you both wasted enough time already?" Hermione asked.

"Of course we've wasted enough time already," Ginny snapped, her frustration showing.

"It's just that it's against the rules for us to be together," Harry explained. "If someone found out that we were involved, Ginny and I could both lose our jobs."

"So this is really the first time we've been able to be together at all," Ginny finished for him. "Although Tank thinks it's more likely that if someone were to find out they'd use it for their own personal gain instead of getting us fired."

"But Harry, in your letters it sounded like you think the world of everyone on the team. Do you really think anyone could be that devious?" Hermione questioned.

"Honestly, no. The thought never would have even crossed my mind if Tank hadn't said something to me," Harry replied.

"I couldn't even begin to think of who I'd suspect," Ginny added.

"Well, I'd have a guess," Harry said slowly.

"Who?" Hermione asked.

"Dustin."

"Why? He's never done anything that would raise my suspicions," Ginny asked.

"Well, he was a Slytherin," Harry answered.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Oh, come off it, Harry. Don't let some silly schoolboy rivalry cloud your judgment."

"That's not what I mean," Harry said defensively. "The kind of person Tank was warning us about is someone who'd be overly ambitious; someone who'd do anything to achieve their goals. Isn't that the very definition of a Slytherin?"

"It is," Hermione agreed. "If no one is acting at all suspicious, then that's as good of a place to start as any."

"Then we have a huge problem," Harry said, dropping his head on the table.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Because he saw me having one of my terrors," Harry explained. "He's already got something to hold over me if he ever decides I can do something help his career."

"I'm not ready to go around accusing anyone of anything," Ginny spoke up. "All of this is just us being cautious; we wouldn't even be thinking like this if Tank hadn't warned us."

'That's just it, though," Harry said. "I don't think Tank would have said anything if he didn't suspect someone was looking for an easy way to further his career. He's not the type to go around saying things without a reason."

"I hate to be the one to bring this up," Hermione said cautiously, "but maybe he's the one who's looking to further his career. Maybe his warning was actually a hint that he was going to want you to do something for him. Maybe he was threatening you instead of warning you. I know you've confided in him, Harry. He's probably got a lot that he could hold over your head."

"I've been confiding in him, too," Ginny said quietly.

"No!" Harry exclaimed. "Tank is our friend; he's not trying to threaten us. Besides, he's retiring; he's not even going to be a Quidditch player anymore."

"And who better to help him start out a new career than the Boy-Who-Lived?" Hermione asked.

"I would help him do anything if he just asked," Harry said quietly. Ginny could tell that it was tearing Harry up inside to consider Tank as anything but a friend and confidant.

Ginny shook her head. "That just wasn't the feeling I got from him when he was warning me."

"And you're probably right," Hermione said with a shrug, "but can you afford not to be?"

* * *

Ginny spent the rest of the day talking with Harry and Hermione. They told her stories from the past year; the mishaps that occurred when they first moved in together, Hermione's anxious application process into the Department of Mysteries, the places they had traveled, Harry's drunken proclamations… the stories went on and on. Ginny was made aware of exactly how much she had missed during her last year at Hogwarts. She told them stories from her year spent as Head Girl, but she honestly didn't know how much they enjoyed hearing them since she didn't particularly enjoy living them. It became completely apparent to Ginny that although Harry and Hermione hadn't been their happiest the past year, they had still been living. She and the rest of her family, on the other hand, had practically stopped living; they had simply existed.

Ginny was currently in Harry's bedroom, getting ready for bed. Hermione had shooed her out of the kitchen after their late dinner, insisting that she and Harry could clean up. While Ginny had immensely enjoyed renewing her friendship with Hermione, she had to admit she was exhausted. After changing into her nightgown, she sat down on the edge of Harry's bed and waited for him to return. She wasn't sure what exactly she had committed herself to when she said they could sleep together in Harry's room; the words had seemed to leave her lips before she really had time to think about what she was saying. She only hoped that Harry wouldn't expect anything from her she wasn't ready to do. She jumped a foot into the air when she heard a knock on the door.

"Are you decent?" Harry called.

"Yes, you can come in," Ginny replied, unable to keep a delirious smile off of her face.

Harry walked into the room and cast a nervous glance in Ginny's direction. "I can still sleep on the couch if you'd prefer."

Ginny shook her head. "We'll be fine." Ginny looked at Harry who was still dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. "Do you need me to leave so you can change clothes?"

"No, I'll just go change in the bathroom," Harry said. He walked over to his trunk and pulled out a pair of flannel pants. He walked into the bathroom that was adjoining his bedroom, leaving Ginny alone once again. She saw something attached on the inside of the top of his open trunk. She curiously walked over and knelt before it. There were two pictures taped to the trunk. The first was of Harry and Hermione, sometime during their sixth year at Hogwarts, waving at the camera and laughing. The second picture contained Harry, Hermione, and herself. It was taken during Christmas of Harry's seventh year. Harry had his arm around Hermione's shoulder while Ginny sat a few feet away, watching them as if she were unsure whether or not she should join them.

"You used to be sitting right beside me in that picture." Harry's voice startled her, and Ginny turned around, feeling guilty for having been caught going through his things.

"I remember when Colin took it," she said quietly.

"You moved away from me and Hermione after the attack on Hogsmeade, and then left the picture completely after my fight with Ron," Harry explained. He walked over and knelt down beside her, and pulled off the picture the picture they were discussing. "Ron used to be in both of these pictures too, but he left after our fight. You only showed back up in this one when we moved into the manor."

"Oh." Again Ginny found herself in a situation where she wasn't sure exactly how to respond, so she decided to change the subject. "I don't know about you, but I'm absolutely exhausted."

"Me, too," Harry admitted. "I guess all of the long days of Quidditch and lack of sleep have finally caught up with me." Harry walked over to the bed and sat down. Ginny followed his example, walking to the other side. Harry lay down and Ginny again followed his example. Ginny felt awkward, lying beside Harry. There was a foot of space between them and Ginny could tell that Harry had his arms crossed over his chest. Deciding that she wasn't going to get any sleep this way, Ginny decided to be bold.

"Harry?" Ginny said softly.

"Yeah?"

"You are allowed to touch me, you know," she said. When Harry made no move, Ginny rolled onto her side and slipped her arm over Harry's chest. She found Harry's hand and took it in her own.

They stayed like that for a few moments until Harry pushed Ginny's arm off of his chest. "I'll never be able to sleep like that," he declared. Feeling offended, Ginny rolled over so her back was to Harry. She was surprised, then, when she felt Harry wrap an arm around her waist and pull her body close to his. "This is much better," he whispered into her ear. Ginny couldn't help but shiver as she felt his hot breath against her neck. She tried to turn around so she could kiss him but Harry tightened his grip on her waist to restrain her.

"Harry…" Ginny whined.

"Sleep now, Gin," Harry whispered. "They'll be plenty of time for all of the other stuff later."

As if to prove Harry's point, Ginny yawned. "Alright," she said sleepily.

"Good night, Gin."

"Good night."

* * *

A/N Well, I hope you enjoy this extra long, fluffy chapter. You're finally getting the answers you all wanted! School starts tomorrow morning, so I'm off to bed. As always, thanks for your reviews, and let me know what you think!


	15. Back to Reality

_A/N This chapter is dedicated to Dennis for all of his help when my muse wasn't there._

_Night After Attack on Hogsmeade_

_Harry Potter sat in shock in the hospital wing. He had been taken down during the battle, and had just been informed that Ginny's protection was probably the only reason he was still alive. The shock of that was nothing compared to the shock of finding out that his last connection to his parents was gone; Moony had died protecting his former students. It was all too much for Harry. He lay down in bed and closed his eyes, trying to block out the rest of the world. He suddenly heard a familiar sob coming from a few beds down. He crept from his bed to see what the problem was._

"_Hermione, what's wrong?" he asked as he sat down on the edge of her bed._

"_It's awful," she cried._

"_I guess you heard about Moony. I can't believe he's gone; it's like I'm an orphan all over again," Harry said quietly._

_Hermione let out a choked sob. "Oh Harry, I didn't know! Here I am feeling sorry for myself, but at least I'm alive."_

"_You have every right to be upset. You've lost so much during the war," Harry interrupted._

"_I still have my life, but they might as well have taken that too," she whispered._

"_What did they do to you, Hermione?"_

"_They've developed a new curse. One they use on muggles a lot." She paused and closed her eyes. "One to make sure muggle women can't have children. Apparently, they've started using it on muggle born witches," she whispered._

_Harry didn't know what to say so he tightened his grip on Hermione's shoulders and let her cry. "They'll pay for what they've done," Harry assured her._

_Hermione pulled out of Harry's grasp and looked him in the eyes. "I'm going to end it with Ron. I love him too much. I know he's always wanted a big family of his own, and he should be with someone who can give him that."_

"_Hermione, he loves you, he won't care about this as long as you're alive," Harry tried to reason to her._

"_I know, which is why you'll never tell him about this. He'll never be truly happy without children of his own. He has to think I ended it because I don't love him anymore."_

"_But you do love him," Harry protested._

"_Which is why I'm doing all of this." Hermione began to cry again. "I'm all alone in the world."_

"_No you're not; you have me, your brother."_

"_Thank Merlin for small favors," Hermione whispered._

"_Try to get some sleep, Hermione," Harry said as he moved to get off her bed._

_Hermione reached out and grabbed his arm. "Don't go. Stay here with me; I don't want to be alone right now." Harry nodded and settled down in bed beside her. He pulled her tightly in his arms and gently rubbed her back. Before long, they were both sound asleep._

* * *

When Ginny woke up the next morning it was to find the spot next to her in bed empty. She glanced at the clock and noticed that it was only nine o'clock, so she figured that Harry couldn't be too far away. She rolled out of bed and slipped on her dressing gown before heading into the kitchen. She was surprised when it wasn't Harry she found sitting in the kitchen but Hermione.

"Good morning," Hermione said cheerfully. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"Sure," Ginny replied, sitting down at the table. "Where's Harry?"

Hermione handed Ginny a mug. "He's at the ministry. He needed to talk to Minister Bones about something."

Ginny saw this as an opportunity to question Hermione about Harry's file. "Hermione, why did you reject me from seeing Harry's file?"

"I didn't!" Hermione exclaimed. "I just told Harry I was going to. Giving you clearance to his file would have given you clearance to mine as well; I couldn't risk you telling Ron. But now you know anyway, so I have no objections to approving you if that's what Harry wants."

"I just wish I knew what Harry wants," Ginny said with a sigh.

"Well, I can say with great confidence that Harry wants you in his life," Hermione said gently. "He's just not sure how to deal with that fact."

"I wish I was as sure as you are," Ginny said. "He can go from being completely angry to loving and then back to angry faster than anyone I know."

"That's just Harry," Hermione said. "He's always been moody, and you seem to bring out his full range of emotions. I don't think he's ever cared for anyone the way he cares for you, and he's not sure how to act."

"He said he was in love with me," Ginny said softly. "But that he didn't know if he still was. He said he still loved me; he just wasn't sure if he was still in love with me."

"Harry didn't even realize he was in love with you for a long time; I practically had to spell it out for him. He doesn't understand that these things don't just go away."

Ginny smiled. "And how am I supposed to get him to realize that?"

"Well for starters, do you love him?" Hermione asked.

"Of course!" Ginny exclaimed. "I can't seem to remember a time when I didn't. Even after a year of not seeing him and wanting to be so mad at him when I finally did, it all came crashing back to me. I was trying so hard to be mad at him, but I couldn't help how I was feeling."

"I know how you feel," Hermione said. "I should apologize to you. If it wasn't for me, you and Harry probably would have been together all of this time. But I had to make Ron hate me; it was the only way to make him stay away. I just never thought he would think I was with Harry; I never thought he would hate him, too. I just didn't think it all the way through."

"I could blame you and be really mad, but I'm not going to," Ginny said slowly. "This entire year I've been trying to be mad; mad at you, mad at Harry, mad at everyone who was moving on with their lives happily. It wasn't good for me then, and it wouldn't be good for me now. I need to put the past behind me and move on with my life. That's what Harry and I are trying to do. I feel like I've learned so much from Harry these past few weeks; he's really grown up. I'm sure it's been because of your influence."

Hermione waved a hand in the air dismissively. "I didn't do anything. After that first summer I've barely been here at the same time as Harry, and then I was a pathetic mess. No, Harry's growing up has been strictly because of whatever's going on in his head."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked. She saw an opportunity to finally discover exactly what had been going on with Harry and she wasn't to let appearing to be nosey get in her way. She would do anything to help him, but she couldn't help him if she didn't know what was going on.

"Well, I, uh," Hermione stuttered, "I mean, everything he's had to deal with from the war, and his night terrors and such."

"Oh," Ginny said, not sure if she believed what Hermione said.

"So, if Harry decides to let you see his file, are you prepared to handle it?" Hermione asked.

Ginny slowly raised her eyes from her coffee to look at Hermione. "What do you mean?" Ginny asked. It took everything in her power to restrain from lashing out at Hermione; if only Hermione hadn't decided to start keeping secrets, none of this would have been an issue. Ginny had accepted Hermione's apology, but that didn't mean she had to accept her implications that she wouldn't be there for Harry.

Hermione looked nervous, sensing the tension that was slowly filling the room. "Well, you said it was going to be hard for you to keep my secret. Harry's secrets are much bigger and much more important. No one can even know that you know about Harry's condition; you're already in danger for knowing about his terrors. Harry told me he told you about the threats on his life; it's very likely that if people find out how important you are to him they'll start threatening you as well. That's one of the reasons that Harry didn't try and fix things again once he got his life settled down. He started to think that he wasn't just the most powerful wizard alive, but the most dangerous."

Ginny's heart began to race. She didn't want to believe that Harry was really that dangerous; she couldn't imagine what would make Harry think that way. "What condition does Harry have besides his terrors? And why does he think he's dangerous?" Ginny asked quickly.

Hermione shook her head. "I've told you much more than I should have already. It's up to Harry and the Minister to decide if you get to know the rest."

Ginny sighed, resigning herself to the fact that Hermione wasn't going to tell her anything else. "So I've been told, Hermione, so I've been told," she said bitterly. "Maybe I could help him if someone would tell me what the bloody hell was going on," she added under her breath.

"So how have you really been this last year?" Hermione asked, obviously ready to change the subject.

At first Ginny was hesitant to reveal what had been going on in her life to someone who had been keeping so much from her, but she realized that being vengeful wouldn't get them anywhere. "I'd say miserable is a fairly safe description," Ginny said. "I didn't handle Mum and Bill's deaths very well, and then with losing you and Harry….." Ginny's voice trailed off. "It was a rough year all around."

"I've heard everyone in your family is well," Hermione said.

"Physically, yes," Ginny replied. "Does this mean you talk to Tonks, too?"

Hermione smiled. "We have her over when we're both here; we go out to lunch when I'm working in town. She's been keeping Harry and me sane for the most part."

Ginny inwardly laughed at the irony. Hermione had someone to keep her sane all this time, when it was Hermione's actions that had been tearing her own family apart. She was tempted to walk away from Hermione right then and there, but she knew that being involved with Harry would mean being involved with Hermione.

"Does she know?" Ginny asked.

Hermione nodded. "Harry told her one of the first times he got really drunk. I was furious with him, but at the same time it was nice to have someone else to talk to about everything."

"And all this time she never said anything," Ginny mused. "That must have been hard for her."

"No harder than it will be for you," Hermione said firmly, reminding Ginny of her promise.

"I know," Ginny said.

"Good morning, ladies," Harry interrupted, walking into the kitchen.

"Morning luv," Hermione said, kissing him on the cheek. "Take a seat; I know you didn't eat anything before you ran out this morning." It was hard for Ginny to accept the level of intimacy they shared without feeling jealous. If it hadn't been for Hermione, she could have been the one there for Harry during his hard times.

Harry grinned at her and sat down at the table beside Ginny and took her hand in his own. Ginny smiled and felt the tension begin to lift from the room. "Yes, Mum," he said with a chuckle.

"Oh, shut up," Hermione said laughing. "So how'd things go?"

"Fine," Harry said quickly, blushing slightly.

Hermione looked at him curiously. "Well, I guess I'm going to go into work, start the process of transferring departments. Of course, that does mean I'll have to settle on a department to transfer into, but I think I'll figure something out…"

"Hermione, you're rambling again," Harry said with a chuckle.

"Right, sorry," Hermione said. "Well, Ginny, I'm so glad you came. It was wonderful to see you again."

Ginny stood up and pulled Hermione into a hug. It felt awkward at first, considering Ginny still wanted to shake some sense into Hermione, but she soon fell into the familiarity of her once best friend. She realized that despite everything that occurred, she valued her friendship with Hermione way more than any grudge. "Oh, you too. I promise it won't be another year before I see you again."

"I hope not. Maybe you'll have to have a family day at the manor so I can come visit my pseudo brother," Hermione suggested.

"That'd be brilliant," Ginny gushed. "I'll get to work on that as soon as possible."

Hermione pulled away from Ginny and headed out of the kitchen. She turned around, looked at Ginny and smiled. "Bye."

"Bye," Ginny called back.

"I'll see you soon, Hermione," Harry added. Hermione smiled again and disappeared from the flat.

Ginny walked over to where Harry was still sitting and wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned forward. "I take it you slept well last night," she whispered into his ear.

"Very," Harry said, his voice sounding slightly strangled.

"No dreams?" she inquired.

"Not exactly." Harry stood up so he could wrap his arms around Ginny. "No bad dreams," he whispered like she had done before, "I dreamt about you."

Ginny felt her skin flush. "What'd you dream?"

"Things that would be very inappropriate," Harry responded before he placed a kiss on her neck.

"Sounds intriguing," Ginny replied, tilting her head so Harry had better access to her neck. "Well at least you didn't have one of your reactions to it," she whispered.

Harry pulled away from her, blushing. "Actually, I did… Just not the same kind of reaction as usual."

As the meaning of Harry's words sunk in Ginny's eyes grew wide and her coloring started to match his own. "Oh!"

"Don't worry; I took care of everything before you could realize what had happened. I didn't want you to feel awkward or uncomfortable," Harry said quickly.

Ginny flushed further. "For some reason, I don't think I would have found it all that awkward or uncomfortable…" her voice trailed off at the implication. Ginny couldn't believe that the words had let her own mouth; she was sounding like a scarlet woman!

It was now Harry's eyes that grew wide. "What time do we have to be back at the manor?" he asked, his voice strained.

Ginny smiled at him apologetically. "In about an hour. It would be later, but we need to make sure that we're back before anyone else so that no one realizes we left together."

"I'm just going to go take a shower before we go," Harry said.

Ginny looked at him curiously. "Okay."

Feeling the need to explain himself Harry spoke up again, "A cold shower."

"Right, well I'll just make sure I have everything together," Ginny said, fighting a giggle.

"See you in a minute."

* * *

Much too soon to Ginny's liking, she and Harry were back at the manor. They had escaped from reality and it had been bliss, but now they were back to the worries and stresses of everyday life. Harry had given her a swift kiss on the lips before disappearing up to his room to unpack. Ginny was terrified, even after their heavenly day together, that when they would finally be allowed to be together in public Harry wouldn't want her anymore. She tried to shake the thought from her head as she headed up to her quarters.

It was odd to Ginny to walk into her room and consider it home. The thought was one that took her by surprise. She set down her bag and looked over the calendar of the team's events.

"Mail today," Ginny said to herself. "Practice at two today, eight tomorrow. We could do a family day on Monday…" Ginny pulled out a quill and made a note on the calendar to see what Mr. Perry would think about having a family day. She looked at the calendar again and gasped. "Why didn't I notice that the party is the night before Harry's birthday?" Ginny couldn't fathom how the date of the big Ministry kick off party had eluded her; it was a testament to how much she was working that she had forgotten about Harry's birthday. Even last year when she was angry with him she hadn't forgotten. She would just have to find a time to go out and find a birthday present for him. And she would have to find a time to let the team in on the fact that Harry's birthday was coming up. Ginny couldn't help but groan at all of the extra work that had just appeared. She now had one week and one day until the big Ministry party, one week and two days until Harry's birthday, and one week and four days until their first Quidditch match.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Harry asked, sticking his head into her room.

Ginny smiled and gestured for him to come in. "I was just thinking about your first match."

"A little over a week," Harry added. "Isn't Japan the first round?"

"Honestly, isn't Mason preparing you for your first match? This is the one opponent you all should have plenty of time to prepare for. What kind of a coach is he?" Ginny fumed.

"You just don't like him because he doesn't like you," Harry teased.

"So?"

"He's a very good coach, he works us really hard. He's got us prepared to handle anything, anytime," Harry said.

"Oh, I know you're right. I just want to know what I did to him that was so wrong," Ginny said.

"I don't know," Harry said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm just ready to stop practicing and start playing for real."

"Well, you do realize that you'll still have practice after you start playing games, don't you?"

"Of course, but Mason can't work us quite as hard when we've got games coming up. Next week is already scheduled to be light practice."

"Well lucky you. Next week is going to be hell for me," Ginny said dramatically. "Your uniforms should be here Tuesday morning, a reporter from the Daily Prophet is coming to spend the day at the manor on Wednesday, the big kick off party for the team is Friday night… it's just going to be a very long week."

"Hey, something just changed on your calendar," Harry said, looking at the parchment on her desk.

Ginny looked over his shoulder. "Mr. Perry thinks that having a family day would be a good idea; he says to have an early practice Monday and let the families come after lunch," Ginny said with a sigh.

"What's wrong, I thought this was your idea," Harry questioned.

"It was Hermione's, and I think it's a brilliant idea, it's just a lot more work for me. I need to write invitations to go out with the mail tonight. It's just one more thing I have to do."

"Well, I guess I'll go back downstairs and let you get to work," Harry said sadly. "At least you'll be much too busy to even think about me."

"Don't worry, Harry. I could never be too busy to think about you," Ginny assured him. "In fact, there has been many a night when you've distracted me from my work. I just keep looking at the calendar, trying to count the days until we can finally give a real relationship a go."

"Me too," Harry said. He walked over and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "I'll see you later, I guess."

"Bye, Harry." Ginny watched Harry walk out of her room. She had no idea how she was going to be able to keep away from Harry now that they had spent a day together as a couple. She determined that she'd just have to bury herself in her work to keep her mind occupied and off of Harry. But before she started she decided to sit down and right her father a letter.

_Dear Dad,_

_Hello! I hope you are doing well. I'm doing better than usual. I'm extremely busy, but I'm still enjoying my work. How are things going with Ron? Have you seen any improvement in his attitude? I hope so._

_I guess this is where I should tell you my big news. Harry and I have buried the hatchet, so to speak. After lots of fighting and yelling, we've finally gotten everything (well, almost everything) out in the open. I went with him yesterday to see Hermione. She looks brilliant. They had a rough start to their lives after Hogwarts, but they seem to have gotten their acts together now. There's so much I want to tell you, but this letter isn't the way._

_That's one reason why I'm writing now. There's going to be a family day at the manor on Monday, and I'd love it if you could come. I want you to meet the team, and see where I work everyday. I hope you can make it! Normally mail only comes in or out of the house on Thursdays, but we're going to open it up for replies to the invitations, so let me know. After everything that's happened recently I'm dying to talk to you, and I really want you to talk to Harry, too._

_I'll hopefully be seeing you very soon._

_Love always,_

_Ginny_

After reading over her letter Ginny nodded in approval and sealed it to be sent out with the rest of the mail later that night. She looked at the clock recognizing that the rest of the team should have arrived, and that they had practice in thirty minutes. She smiled in anticipation of seeing them all again, even though they had only been separated for a day. She ran down the stairs, and was not disappointed when she found everyone but Harry sitting in the living room.

"It's the Wee Weasley!" MJ exclaimed.

"What have I told you about calling me that?" Ginny asked laughing. "How was everyone's day off?"

"Good," Wesley said.

"Fine," Jacob said.

"Superb," Tank said.

"Excellent," Jeff said.

"Okay," Dustin said.

"Bloody brilliant," MJ said.

Ginny burst out laughing. "Well it sounds like you all enjoyed your day. Although I swear you all rehearsed that. And I don't want to know what made MJ's day so brilliant. Or more importantly, who made it so brilliant."

"No one you know," MJ assured her.

"Good. Where's Harry, by the way?" Ginny asked.

"Outside, I think," Tank replied.

"Good. I wanted to let you all know that his birthday is the Saturday after the big kick off party. You don't have to feel obligated to do anything for him, but I wanted to make you all aware of the situation," Ginny informed them.

"Thanks for letting us know," Tank said. "I'll definitely try to do something."

"By the way, did he say if he had a nice day off?" Ginny asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"He said it was good," Jacob replied. Ginny suddenly felt like everyone in the room was looking at her oddly. She couldn't decide if it was paranoia or if there was truth behind her feeling.

"Well, I hope you all have a good practice. I have some big news tonight, so try and stay in one piece that long," Ginny said, trying to get out of the situation before anyone started asking her questions about her day off. "Bye!" Ginny ran back up the stairs to her room and shut the door behind her. "_Pretending not to be involved with Harry is going to be harder than I thought."_

* * *

Later that night, Ginny gathered the team in the living room so she could distribute the mail like she always did. In fact, everything felt normal until she turned to hand Harry his letters. There were the normal two, and she easily recognized Tonks handwriting, but the handwriting on the second letter looked completely foreign to her. She quickly dismissed it as nothing other than her paranoia sneaking back up on her again, and she gave Harry his letters, being careful not to make eye contact with him. She walked in front of the fireplace so she could see everyone clearly, and forced a big smile on her face.

"Before you all get too distracted with your letters, I have an announcement to make," Ginny said loudly. Everyone looked up from the letters they were holding and turned their attention to Ginny.

"We're listening," MJ said, pretending to be bored.

"Well, this Monday we have a slight change in plans," Ginny began. "You all will have your morning practice as usual, but then after lunch you're all allowed to invite up to three family members or good friends to come by to visit for the evening."

"Are you serious?" Jacob asked excitedly. "Chloe can come here on Monday?"

"Yep," Ginny said smiling. "You'll all have the time between lunch and dinner to yourselves, then we'll all dine together and then they'll have to leave. But fortunately, you all get to bring dates to the party the following Friday so you'll get to see them again soon."

Tank stood up and gave Ginny tight hug. "Thank you for doing this; you have no idea how much I cherish every minute I get to spend with Marissa these days."

"Not a problem," Ginny said. "I have these invitations for you right now, and I'll need you to address them for me by the end of the night. They'll go out with your normal letters. So just leave a stack here and if one of you would bring them up to me before you go to bed I'd really appreciate it." Ginny passed three of the invitations she made to everyone, fighting every urge in her body to let her hand linger on Harry's for more than the second it should. Seeing her resolve to stay away from Harry starting to fail, Ginny headed back up the stairs to her bedroom.

She had been working for a little over an hour in her room when there was a knock on her door.

"Come in," she called, fully expecting Harry to walk into her bedroom. She was surprised when it was Dustin's voice she heard instead.

"Here are everyone's letters," he said, offering her a bundle.

"Thanks," Ginny replied, trying to hide her disappointment.

"Am I not the team member you were hoping for?" Dustin asked lightly.

"Just not the one I was expecting," Ginny answered honestly.

"Well, sorry for the let down, but no one else wanted to do it," he replied with a shrug.

Ginny was starting to feel like Dustin was trying to bait her into admitting something about Harry. "No big deal. Well, I've got a lot work to do, so I'll see you in the morning," she said politely.

"Night," Dustin called, shooting her one last questioning look before heading out of her room.

Ginny glanced at the large stack of letters. Surely one peak at who everyone was inviting wouldn't be any kind of invasion of privacy… after all, they'd all be at the manor in a few days. She quickly thumbed through the deck, noting the names of wives aside the names she didn't recognize. She was halfway through the stack when she came to Harry's two invitations, addressed to Hermione and Tonks respectively. She was surprised to find a third letter in Harry's handwriting behind the invitations, and even more surprised to see that it was addressed to her. She quickly opened the letter to see what he had written.

_Gin,_

_I received something interesting in the mail tonight. I can't really go into details right now, but know that it's now more important than ever to make sure we stay away from each other. I really need to talk to you, but I can't think of a good excuse that won't raise anyone's suspicions. I think that we can talk on Monday, and that way we can get Hermione and Tonks's opinions as well._

_I miss you more now than I did all last year, even though you're so close by. Counting the days…_

_Harry_

Ginny took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Obviously she wasn't being paranoid when she felt that something was odd about the letter Harry had received tonight. She felt even worse when she thought about how the mail system for the manor worked. Each player had submitted a confidential list of people to accept mail from that was kept at the Ministry. Then all letters that were sent by approved people went to the Ministry, and then from there they were forwarded to her at the manor every Thursday. She knew that the letters weren't approved individually, but that all the people approved to send letters held a code that ensured their letters were sent to the proper location. Ginny took another deep breath as she tried to think of how to break it to Harry that this letter that was bothering him could have only come from someone connected with the team personally.

Ginny set down the remaining letters, her hands shaking. She knew that attempting anymore work that night would be futile. She pulled a piece of ribbon from her desk and tied all of the letters together, not bothering to go through the remaining invitations. She took them to the owl that made her room its home every Thursday and gave it the letters.

"I'll see you next week," she called after the bird as she watched it fly out her window. Ginny closed the window tightly, as is the action would keep anymore bad things out of the manor. She changed into her nightgown and slipped into bed, despite the early hour. She only hoped that she'd actually be able to sleep now that her thoughts were plagued with fears…

* * *

Ginny rolled over in bed to reach out for Harry. She felt a strange sense of loss knowing he wasn't there. She sighed and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, taking the time to yawn and stretch before she actually stood up. She found her dressing gown on the back of the chair at her desk and slipped it on, not bothering to tie the knot securely around her waist. She opened the door to her bedroom and leisurely strolled down the hall towards the delicious smells coming from the kitchen. She walked in and saw Harry sitting at the table, sipping on a cup of coffee and reading the paper. He looked up when he heard her arrive and smiled at her over his paper.

"Good morning, dear," he said brightly. "Sleep well?"

Ginny nodded as she sat down beside him. "I hate waking up when you've already gotten out of bed." Harry looked at her strangely when she said that but Ginny didn't think anything of it. "What's for breakfast?" she asked sleepily.

Harry smiled broadly. "Hermione's making her world famous bacon and eggs," he informed her.

Ginny frowned. "Why is Hermione in our house cooking for us?"

Harry chuckled. "You're so silly Gin-gin."

"Why am I silly?" Ginny asked, not liking the direction the conversation was taking.

"Because Hermione and I are married; we got married right out of school. How could you forget… you were at our wedding."

Ginny's eyes grew wide. "But weren't you in my bed last night? Didn't we sleep together last night?"

"I swear, are you feeling alright?" Harry asked, rolling his eyes. When Ginny didn't respond he continued. "Of course I slept with you last night; you're my newest mistress."

"And Hermione doesn't mind?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"Why would she? She knows I'm madly in love with her and have been for years. I just have needs I need to take care of," Harry explained as if he were talking to a small child.

Just then Hermione walked back into the room. "Harry, luv, I hope you didn't let the bacon burn while I was in the loo," she scolded.

Ginny took one look at Hermione and her jaw dropped. "You're pregnant!" she exclaimed.

"Honestly, Ginny, where have you been?" Hermione said impatiently. "You know that Harry and I are going to have a baby!"

Harry smiled proudly and stood up so he could wrap his arm around his wife. "Our kids are going to be beautiful, don't you think?"

Ginny looked at them, appalled at the thought. "What about me? What about us?" she whispered desperately.

Harry and Hermione exchanged an amused look. "Silly girl," Harry said with a chuckle, "I'm just using you to satisfy my manly urges and needs. That's all you're good for. What, did you think I loved you or something?" Seeing the horrified look on Ginny's face, he laughed again. "Oh you did, how cute!"

Ginny couldn't take anymore. She bolted from her seat and ran straight for the front door. She ran out into the street, not caring that her robe was open or that her feet were bare. She saw a familiar flash of red hair on the other side of the street and hurried across looking for comfort.

"Ron!" she cried, wrapping her arms around him. "Oh, it was so awful in there!" Ginny was suddenly very aware of the fact that Ron wasn't hugging her back. She released her grasp on him and stepped back so she could look at his face. She was surprised to see how angry he looked. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"You little slag!" Ron shouted.

Ginny looked around at all of the people on the busy street. "Ron!" she hissed. "What are you talking about? And keep it down, people are staring!"

Ron ignored her. "I knew I'd find you here. I knew you were lying when you said you were over Harry. How long have you been sleeping with him? How long have you been his mistress?" he yelled. "And you call yourself Hermione's friend!"

"Ron, shut up! People are staring!" Ginny exclaimed.

Ron laughed, but it wasn't his normal happy chuckle. There was something about this laugh that was decisively evil. "They're not staring because I'm being loud, Ginny," Ron said calmly. "They're staring because you're naked and your robe is open."

Ginny looked down in horror and saw that he was right. She quickly closed her dressing gown and tied it in a tight knot. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

"So the whole world can see what a scarlet woman you are. Mum is very disappointed in you, Ginny. She can't believe you'd betray your own brother like you have; taking up with his mortal enemy and all. How does it feel to know that you've lost everything now? Your family hates you as much as they hate him, and Harry's not going to want you anymore since he's already had you. You're all alone, Ginny. Harry doesn't want you. Harry's been in love with Hermione for ages now."

"You're lying… you're all lying to me!" Ginny cried. "Harry loves me, and as soon as the World Cup is over we're going to be together! And there's nothing you can do to stop us!"

Ron didn't reply; instead he pointed smugly to the no longer pregnant Hermione crossing the street towards them.

"I have bad news," Hermione said solemnly when she reached them.

"Harry's dead," Ron said for her.

"Well, yes," Hermione said awkwardly. "How did you know?"

Ron shrugged. "Simple. I told him if he ever came near my family again I'd kill him. So after I found out what he and Ginny here had been up to I killed him."

Ginny slowly backed away from Ron and Hermione, shaking her head. "No, you couldn't, you wouldn't," she whispered.

"Actually, he did," Hermione said simply. "This is entirely your fault Ginny. Ron's not to blame; you as good as killed Harry yourself. Everyone's going to think so."

"No!" Ginny said, still backing away.

"She's right. Harry's dead and it's all your fault," Ron confirmed.

"No!" Ginny said, more forcefully this time. Ron and Hermione only looked at her condescendingly. "NO!" Ginny screamed. She took one more step backwards and tripped over something. She started to fall, but she never felt the ground. There was nothingness all around her, and she just kept falling, further and further…..

Ginny sat up in her bed like someone had poked her back. She was out of breath and her nightgown was drenched with sweat, clinging to her body. Her hands were trembling and her vision was blurry. "Only a nightmare," she murmured to herself. "It was only a nightmare." Her reassuring words did nothing to settle her pounding heart. Her mind was racing; her worries had shifted from losing her job to simply hoping that she and Harry both made it out of the world cup alive. And that Harry would still want her when everything was over and done with.

* * *

A/N Okay I've got a bit of bad news. With my new work load at school, I'm just resigning myself to only updating once a week instead of twice like I had been doing before Christmas. I'm going to try and make Sunday be the day I update every week, so you'll all know when to look. Thanks as always for your continued support; your reviews are what keep me going.

A/N 2 I updated this chapter again to fix a small grammatical error, and because there were problems with the alerts earlier in the week….


	16. Family Day

A/N I want to apologize for the problems with the alerts last week. I know they never went out, which really made me mad because I love the previous chapter. Make sure you've read 15 before jumping into 16!

* * *

The next three days could have very easily been the longest of Ginny's life. During the war, when she would wait anxiously to hear if her family had made it through one more battle intact, the time went faster. It was like she was living in her own personal hell, and no one even realized anything was wrong. She was tortured with seeing Harry, yet having to keep her distance, she was constantly paranoid that someone was watching her every move, trying to find something to blackmail her with, and ever since her nightmare she was terrified of losing Harry; whether it be to another woman or to death.

Needless to say, when Monday rolled around Ginny found herself in the best mood she had felt since her glorious day with Harry. She was almost giddy when she watched the team leave the house and head out on the pitch for practice. She would soon be able to talk to Harry and finally figure out what was going on. She looked one of the windows at the back of the house and could barely make out seven people flying around the pitch. She became so wrapped up in watching them she didn't realize that someone was in the room with her.

"Hello, Ginny."

Ginny quickly turned around and let out a squeal of joy. "Dad!" she exclaimed as she ran over to where he was standing and practically jumped into his arms.

"Be careful now; I'm not as young as I used to be," Arthur said with a chuckle.

Ginny pulled back and looked at her father. Despite his age, she couldn't help but notice that he looked younger than he had since her mother died. "What's different?" she asked curiously.

Arthur smiled at his youngest child. "I'm happier."

"And why are you happier?"

Arthur put his arm over Ginny's shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "Because you're happier."

Ginny fought back the happy tears in her eyes and led her father into the living room where they could sit and talk. "So, what are you doing here, anyway? You're a couple of hours early."

"Well, from your last letter it really sounded like you needed some time alone with me, so I went by your boss's office and he said he didn't see why I couldn't come in before the other guests," Arthur explained.

"Well, it's a wonderful surprise," Ginny said.

"So, you and Harry," Arthur said, raising an eyebrow at his daughter.

Ginny blushed and looked around the room nervously, as if she were expecting someone to come leaping out of the shadows at any moment. "Yeah," she finally answered, unable to keep her joy out of her voice.

"And you're happy?"

"Well, not right now," Ginny said with a sigh. "You have no idea how hard it is to want to be with someone so much and know you can't. I just want to run into his arms and never let him go every time I see him, but I know I can't."

"Wait until you have kids," Arthur said chuckling. "Then you'll really know what it's like to have to wait to be with someone you love." Ginny blushed again and Arthur looked at her appraisingly. "You love him, don't you?"

"Am I that obvious?" Ginny asked.

"Well, I've gotten pretty good at picking up on that look on your face; especially when it comes to Harry," Arthur said gently. "So, shall I assume you've fallen for him again?"

Ginny shook her head. "I realized I never stopped loving him. I just tried to bury all of this hurt and pain with anger and I never realized the reason why it still hurt so much."

"Because you're in love with him," Arthur finished for her.

Ginny sighed. "I think I always have been."

"And what does Harry think?"

Ginny collapsed back into the overstuffed chair she was sitting in. "Harry doesn't know what he thinks. He knows he loves me, and that he was in love with me, but he's just not sure where his feelings lie now."

"But he does want to be with you?" Arthur questioned.

"As soon as we can without getting into trouble," Ginny answered. "He wants to work on rebuilding our trust and our love."

"Well, that's as good of a place to start as any," Arthur said. "Love is work, Ginny. There were days when I didn't like your mother very much; there were plenty of days when we didn't get along. But I loved her with all my heart, and I knew that as long as we had that we could work through anything that came our way. If you and Harry really love each other, everything will work out for the best."

"You have no idea how much I've wanted to talk to someone about this who actually knows me better than they know Harry," Ginny said gratefully.

"Well, I'm just glad now I didn't manage to convince Ron to come here with me," Arthur replied.

Ginny's eyes widened. "Ron was invited here today?"

Arthur nodded. "His friend Jeff invited him because none of his family could make it. Ron refused though since Harry would be here, and because I think he was worried Hermione would be here as well."

"She will be," Ginny said, obviously relieved. "I'm glad to have avoided the scene that would have caused."

Arthur looked at Ginny questioningly. "So when are you going to tell Ron about all of this? When are you going to tell any of your brothers for that matter?"

Ginny couldn't help but groan at the thought. "I don't know when because I don't know how. I've found out some things that really clear everything up, but I'm not allowed to share those things with other people. I know for a fact that Harry and Hermione were never dating, and I know for a fact that Harry hasn't been parading around with different women all over the country, but to explain things to Ron would mean betraying people's trust. I've worked too hard to get Harry to trust me again to do that."

"So just tell Ron that Harry and Hermione were never together and let him question them," Arthur suggested.

"Do you think Harry and Hermione haven't tried that already? Dad, Harry sent Ron and I letters everyday for a week trying to explain things, and not only did Ron send his letters back unopened, but he intercepted mine and sent them back as well."

"I wasn't aware…"

"Neither was I. Ron's lucky I haven't hexed him into next week yet," Ginny said sourly. "So much of this could have been avoided…"

"I'm sorry you've had to endure all of this," Arthur said sadly.

"Have you made any progress with him, Dad?" Ginny asked. "I think that if he could accept Harry, the twins and Charlie would follow easily. After all, he's the only reason we were all so mad at Harry."

"I've made some progress with getting Ron to open up a bit more, but I haven't said anything regarding Harry. I didn't feel like he was ready to cross that bridge yet," Arthur replied.

"Well we have until after the World Cup to get him ready, because I'm not going to stay away from Harry a second longer than I have to!" Ginny proclaimed.

"Do you have any idea what you're going to do?"

Ginny shook her head. "I'll come up with something. Maybe Tonks can help me… Did you know she's been keeping tabs on our family for Harry this past year?"

"I did," Arthur replied. "Ginny, I must confess something to you."

Ginny's relaxed state vanished instantly and she felt her paranoia start to creep back into her mind. "What?" she whispered.

"I know why Hermione broke up with Ron, or at least I'm pretty sure I know why," Arthur said slowly. "I know what's wrong with Harry, and why he stopped trying to make you understand what happened."

"I don't understand," Ginny interrupted, her voice barely audible.

"I have access to Harry's file… I was one of the original people who worked on his case…"

Ginny's jaw dropped. "And all this time you couldn't find it in your heart to help Ron and me fix our lives?" she asked, her voice filled with accusation.

"I couldn't have even if I thought it was for the best. And you won't be able to say anything either if you pass through all of the clearance," Arthur said gently.

"All this time…"

"I'm sorry. You don't know how much it tortured me to see what you all were going through, knowing I held all the answers. It was killing me; I thought your mother would have just said forget the ministry, forget the contracts, I'm helping my babies… I felt like she was so disappointed in me…" Arthur's voice trailed off and Ginny could see the tears in her father's eyes.

Ginny wanted to be furious. She wanted to yell and scream and kick her father out of her life for keeping something so important from her. But if there was anything she'd learned since starting her job it was that staying angry didn't solve any of her problems. "If anything, she'd be disappointed in how we let our family fall apart," Ginny said quietly. "But we're trying to fix that now, aren't we?" Ginny forced a smile to try and reassure her father.

"Yes, yes we are."

"I wonder why Harry didn't tell me you knew," Ginny said, more to herself than her father.

"That would be because I asked him not to. I thought if the issue were ever to come up, I should be the one to tell you," Arthur explained, regaining his composure. "I didn't want you to take your issues with me out on him." Arthur paused, trying to examine the expression on Ginny's face. "Do you hate me?"

"No… I am angry, but I understand that you were in a tough position. I hope that I'm never put in a similar situation. It's just frustrating that so many people know the things I've been trying so desperately to find out," Ginny explained, surprisingly able to keep her emotions in check. "I think you're going to have a much tougher time if Ron ever finds out."

"I know, which is one of the reasons I just wasn't talking to him the way I used to. I was afraid that I would see how hurt he is and just spill everything to him."

"Do you think I'll ever know everything?" Ginny asked quietly.

"I'm sure of it. I know Harry was talking to Minister Bones just last week about his file," Arthur said gently. "I think he'll tell you when he feels like the time is right."

"I'm getting tired of waiting," Ginny said.

"You sound like your mother when she was waiting for me to propose," Arthur mused, smiling at the memory.

"I miss her so much right now."

"Me too. You remind me of her."

Before Ginny could respond she heard the back door to the house open and knew that her time alone with her father was over. "Are you ready to meet the team?" Ginny asked. Arthur grinned broadly and nodded his head right as the team walked into the living room, led by Tank.

"Mr. Weasley!" Harry exclaimed happily.

Arthur walked over to Harry and shook his hand. "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Arthur, now?"

"Probably at least one more," Harry joked. "How've you been? I haven't seen you in a while."

"Oh, you know. Some days are harder than others, but I have a feeling things will be looking up again very soon," Arthur said with a glint in his eye.

"Dad," Ginny interrupted, "Let me introduce you to the team. This is Tank, Dustin, Wesley, MJ, Jacob, and Jeff." They all exchanged pleasantries and shook hands.

Arthur looked around the room. "Now, MJ, are you Angelina's cousin?"

"That's right. I just love Fred and George," MJ said with a chuckle.

"And Jeff, Ron's brought you by the house before, hasn't he?"

Jeff nodded. "I came by once before we went to a Quidditch match together."

"Well, it certainly is splendid to meet all of you. Ginny speaks so highly of you all," Arthur continued.

"Dad!" Ginny said, trying not to blush. She turned her back to her father so she could address the team. "You lot better go ahead and clean up if you don't want to stink when your guests arrive," Ginny said.

"Tank, since you gave me your room you can use my shower first. I want to talk to Mr. Weasley a bit before I go up," Harry said as the team headed for the stairs.

Tank turned around and looked at Harry curiously but didn't let his voice show his question. "Thanks, mate."

Harry, Ginny and Arthur all sat back down in the living room; Harry and Ginny on the couch and Arthur on one of the armchairs.

"How've you been, Harry?" Arthur asked.

Harry snuck a shy glance at Ginny before blushing. "Never better."

"We'll talk more about that later," Arthur said, pretending to be stern.

"I'm assuming you told Ginny?" Harry asked.

"I did."

Harry turned his attention to Ginny. "And you're not mad?"

"I am, but staying angry wouldn't help anything."

"But the question is still how do you make Ron understand," Arthur added.

"Hermione will never tell him," Harry said. "I've been through it with her a thousand times; she's not going to give in. She still believes it's for the best."

"Maybe I can talk to her," Arthur suggested.

"She doesn't know you know… We're going to have to work to keep her from freaking out when she sees you here," Harry said with a sigh. "But I'm going to go clean up now; I'll see you both in a little bit." Harry stood up and walked upstairs towards his bedroom.

"Why is everything about wanting to be with Harry difficult?" Ginny asked her father, groaning in frustration.

"Because, Ginny, the best things in life don't come easily. Just have patience."

* * *

An hour and a half later, the entire team had eaten and was anxiously waiting by the door for their loved ones to arrive. Ginny hung towards the back of the crowd with her father, simply enjoying being in his presence for the first time since her mother's death. She put her arm around her father's waist and leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"Do you think I should tell them that everyone is arriving by a portkey in the living room?" she whispered, grinning.

Arthur looked at his daughter and chuckled. "Let them be surprised."

Ginny glanced down at her watch. "They'll be figuring it out any second now." True to her word, there was suddenly a loud crash coming from the other room. Everyone exchanged nervous glances before hurrying to see what the commotion was. Ginny linked her arm with her father's and sauntered into the next room. The scene before them could only be described in one word: chaos. It appeared that the portkey had landed several of it's travelers on top of the coffee table, there were three women in a tangled heap on the floor, and at least three children crying loudly. Ginny watched as the team rushed to separate their own guests from the mess that lay before them. Ginny had to fight to keep herself from laughing when she realized Hermione was on the floor, underneath a blonde woman she didn't recognize. She watched Harry pull the other woman off the floor, and then helped Hermione off the floor. She wasn't surprised when she saw Harry wrap Hermione in a tight hug, but she had to keep her jealousy in check when he pulled the blonde into a tight hug as well. Ginny had to admit she was very attractive, if you liked that long legged, curvy, doe eyed type. Ginny saw Wesley lean over and whisper something in Harry's ear, causing Harry to chuckle. Harry noticed Ginny watching him and beckoned her to join them, but she shook her head no. For the moment, she was content to watch everyone else interact and enjoy their guests.

"Minister Bones thought it would be best if Tonks came as one of her other personalities," Arthur whispered in Ginny's ear.

Ginny looked at her father and tried to keep the look of relief off her face. "I figured as much," she lied.

Arthur laughed. "I'm sure you did. I just wanted to make sure you didn't hex her or Harry without it being necessary."

Ginny tried to glare at her father but couldn't keep the smile off her face. "You caught me. But if you'll excuse me for a moment, I think it's time I pulled this crowd into a bit of order." Arthur nodded his approval and Ginny stepped away from him. "Sonorus. Excuse me!" The crowd silenced accept for the one child who was still crying. "Quietus. For those of you I don't know, I'm Ginny Weasley. I live here at the manor and work with the team on a day to day basis. I can honestly say that nothing is ever boring living with these guys! I guess I want to thank you all for making the sacrifice and being away from them for so long. It'll all be over soon." Ginny smiled at everyone before continuing. "Tank, why don't you start off all the introductions?"

"Sure thing!" Tank replied happily. "This is my wife Marissa, and these our kids Helen and Eric." Ginny smiled sympathetically as Marissa tried to get Eric to stop crying.

"Sorry about him," Marissa said, sweeping the young boy up in her arms. "He'll calm down eventually."

"Don't worry about it, Marissa," Dustin said. "We all just know now that he takes after his father." When the laughter died down Dustin spoke up again. "This is my wife, Beth, and our two sons, Marcus and Davis." The two boys looked to be around six and ten, just old enough to feel awkward around such a large group of adults.

"I'll go next," MJ spoke up. "This is my lovely, wonderful, talented, beautiful mother, Marjorie."

"And now all I have to do is figure out why he's sucking up to me," Marjorie added, causing everyone to chuckle.

"Your mum's got your number down, MJ," Wesley said. "This is my wife, Lori. She's flying solo today; our son Drew is with his aunt this week."

"Well, my dad couldn't make it here today," Jeff spoke up. "And one my good friends declined to come as well, but my good friend Gabby hung in there and came to see me today." Gabby was very beautiful, very exotic looking. Ginny couldn't help but notice that she seemed to be surveying the room, as if she was taking inventory of all the men. The thought made Ginny feel slightly uneasy.

"It's very nice to meet you all," Gabby all but purred, drawing in the attention of every man in the room.

"Harry, why don't you go next," Ginny spoke up, desperate to break the trance everyone seemed to be in.

"Well, this is my roommate and best friend from school, Hermione Granger," Harry said, motioning in Hermione's direction, "And this is Alexa Mallory, I met her after my first Quidditch match and we've been friends ever since. Apparently she's my biggest Quidditch fan."

"Haven't I met you before?" Wesley asked. "After one of our matches?"

"I believe so," Tonks replied, sporting a false Irish accent. "It's lovely to see you again."

"I think that just leaves you, Jacob," Ginny said.

"Well, this is Chloe," Jacob said wrapping his arms around her waist. "The best thing that's ever happened to me." Jacob leaned forward and placed a kiss on Chloe's cheek.

"Now see, Matthew, he sounded genuine with his compliment," Marjorie said, swatting MJ on the arm. Everyone started laughing.

"Definitely got your number down, mate," Tank said through his chuckles. "So what's next for all of us, Miss Weasley?"

"You're free to do whatever you want as long as you don't leave the grounds. Dinner will be at seven, we'll reconvene in the dining room then. It was a pleasure to meet you all and I hope you all enjoy your time here." As the crowd began to scatter, Harry, Hermione, and Tonks walked over to Ginny and Arthur.

"Hi, Arthur," Tonks said, extending her hand politely. "I'm sorry for the formalities, but I don't want to make anyone suspicious."

"Not a problem, dear," Arthur replied smiling. "Hermione, it's lovely to see you again."

Ginny thought it looked like Hermione reverted back into a shy twelve year-old girl. "It's nice to see you too, Mr. Weasley," she said meekly.

"Why don't I show you all my quarters?" Ginny suggested. Everyone seemed to understand that they needed the privacy and followed Ginny up the stairs to her room. Ginny ended up walking directly beside Harry, and she leaned over so only he could hear her. "What did Wesley say to you that was so funny?" she whispered.

"He asked me how it felt to have three of my girlfriends in the room at the same time," Harry replied.

It took all of Ginny's strength not to completely lose it on the stairs. "He thinks I'm your girlfriend?" she hissed.

"Calm down, I'm pretty sure he was just referring to the fact that we did have a date once… but he has been asking a lot of questions lately."

"Would you two care to fill the rest of us in?" Tonks asked.

"As soon as we get in my room," Ginny replied. A few moments later, Ginny had ushered them all into her bedroom. She cast a locking and silencing charm on her room, while Tonks transfigured her bed into a table with chairs.

"Before you all start any conversation, I think it's important that Hermione knows I've seen her and Harry's files," Arthur said, sitting down at the table.

Hermione's eyes grew wide. "You know?"

"I haven't told anyone yet, Hermione," Arthur said gently. "I'm not going to anytime soon."

"I appreciate that," Hermione said quietly.

"That's not what we need to discuss now," Tonks interrupted. "I'm sure Hermione knows where we all stand on the topic."

"Well, I guess you all know that Ginny and I both received cryptic messages from Tank the other day about someone trying to use our relationship against us," Harry began. "When we got back to the manor after our day off, I had a letter from someone threatening me." Harry pulled the letter out of his pocket and set it out on the table.

"Quit the team," Tonks read out loud. "Not exactly the worst threat on you I've ever seen."

"The thing is, that letter could have only come from someone directly linked with the team… it's the way our mail system works," Ginny explained.

"But that doesn't mean they actually know anything," Hermione said reasonably. "They could just be trying to freak you out."

"Well they're doing a good job of it," Ginny muttered.

"I think the important thing to consider," Arthur said slowly, "Is who would gain anything from you quitting the team." They sat in silence for a few minutes while everyone pondered question.

"I don't think anyone would gain much of anything," Harry said. "None of these guys are all that close with the reserve, and honestly their best chance at winning anything would be with me on the team."

"Maybe it's because you get too much attention from the press," Tonks suggested. "Maybe they're jealous."

"But that could be just about anyone," Ginny said, groaning.

"Doesn't sound like Tank," Harry said thoughtfully. "He gets enough attention on his own; being the captain and facing retirement. And, while Jacob doesn't get much attention, I think he's too shy to really want any."

"Not to mention the fact that he worships the ground you walk on," Ginny teased. Harry only responded by rolling his eyes.

"I'm just not sure what to think," Arthur said.

"I know one thing," Tonks said. "This isn't the last threat. This was just something to try and get to you worked up. They haven't even said what they really want yet."

"Why do you say that?" Ginny asked.

"Because the contract I signed forbid me from quitting. If this came from a team member, they would know that," Harry explained.

"Great," Ginny said bitterly. "So there's nothing we can do?"

"Not for now," Tonks said. "You two have to be very careful and just wait it out."

"In that case," Ginny said, forcing a smile, "Why don't you all enjoy yourselves while you're here?"

"I can take you guys out to the pitch," Harry suggested.

"Before we go, I'd like to show you all something," Hermione said. She reached down in her purse and pulled out a picture. The photo was of an infant, not even a year old, cooing and sucking on its hand. "She's mine," Hermione whispered. "Her name's Lillith Casey, soon to be Lillith Casey Granger. I get her in about a week."

Harry stood up and embraced Hermione in a loving hug. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Congratulations," Ginny added. "She's beautiful."

"Her parents were murdered by Death Eaters a few months after she was born. Her mother had enough warning to hide Lillith in a secret room under the house. The Aurors found her sleeping peacefully there the next morning." Hermione looked at Harry and smiled sadly. "I'm going to call her Lilly, if that's okay with you. When I heard her name, I knew it was a sign that this was meant to be… I was meant to raise her."

"I think that'd be wonderful," Harry replied, his voice obviously choked up.

"Hermione, I'm happy for you too, but I want to get out to the pitch before we have to leave," Tonks said suddenly. "No offense, but I don't want to spend our short time here being sad."

"No, you're right," Hermione said. "I just wanted to share this with all of you."

"Well, you lot go outside and have fun," Arthur said. "I'm getting too old to keep up with all of you. I'll just sit downstairs and relax."

"I'll stay with you, Dad," Ginny said immediately. Ever since her talk with her father that morning, she had felt closer to him than she had in years. She wasn't going to be ready to say goodbye to him when he had to leave later that night. She linked her arm with her father's like she had done earlier in the day and walked back downstairs. They said goodbye to Harry, Hermione, and Tonks and sat down on the couch. Ginny saw her father close his eyes, so she walked over to the nearest window to view the pitch. She saw Harry laughing with Hermione and Tonks, Tank was taking his daughter for a ride, and Dustin was demonstrating plays in the air for his boys with his wand. Jacob and Chloe were suspiciously absent, and Jeff, Gabby, Marjorie, and MJ were sitting under a tree talking. It looked to Ginny like MJ was trying to put the moves on Gabby, while Jeff was looking none too pleased. The sound of someone arriving by Floo snapped Ginny back into reality. Her first thought was panic, knowing that the Floo Network wasn't supposed to be open, but she tried to assure herself that Mr. Perry had opened it. She was shocked when she walked back into the living room to find Ron standing there, brushing himself off.

"Ron!" she exclaimed nervously. "I didn't think you were coming!"

"Well, I didn't want to," he replied sourly. "But Mr. Perry knew I was invited and insisted that I come."

"Good for him," Arthur said. "I'm glad someone can get through to you."

"I'm not staying long," Ron said. "Just long enough to appease Mr. Perry so I don't lose my job."

"Oh," Ginny said, trying to hide her relief. The last thing she needed the week before the World Cup was any kind of a fight.

"Don't look so disappointed," Ron said sarcastically. Instead of responding Ginny rolled her eyes and walked back over to the window.

"You need to watch your attitude," Arthur said firmly. "Your sister did nothing to provoke you. You should apologize."

"Fine," Ron said. He followed Ginny's path over to the window. "Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"It's okay," Ginny replied. "Let's go back and sit with Dad," she said quickly, trying to pull Ron away from the window. But it was too late, the damage had been done. From the window Ron had a perfect view of Harry, Hermione, and Tonks as Alexa. The three of them were now lounging around in the grass, talking and laughing. Ginny could see the anger boiling up in Ron, his expression turned cold.

"Ron," Ginny began, but found she didn't really know what to say. She was trying to come up with something to try and calm him down, but she knew it was futile when she saw Hermione give Harry a kiss on his cheek.

"I think I should go…" Ron walked back into the living room and Ginny followed behind him.

"Don't be like this, Ron," Ginny said quickly. "You haven't even seen Jeff and he's the one who invited you."

"And why didn't you invite me," Ron shot back.

"Because I didn't think you'd come!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Or was it because you were afraid to let me see how close you've become with him? Did you feel guilty for betraying me while you were getting close to him?" Ron snarled.

He might as well have slapped Ginny across the face; his words hit her like a bucket of cold water. Everything she had been working for with Harry suddenly felt like disloyalty to Ron. She was so sure that she would be able to convince him that everything had been a big misunderstanding, but hearing his reaction she was losing her faith. She was frozen in place as she watched Ron walk away. She didn't know what she was supposed to do now. She couldn't abandon Harry, no matter how much Ron may hate him; it would be like giving back a delicious cake you had only had a bite of. She knew what it was like to be with Harry now, and there was no going back for her. But at the same time, she couldn't lose another family member; especially over something like this.

"Ginny?" Her father's voice brought her back to reality. "Ron just left… he seemed to be really upset about something."

"He saw Harry, Hermione, and Tonks outside and snapped," Ginny explained quietly. "He said I was betraying him by becoming close with Harry again, and he doesn't even know the half of it!" Ginny could no longer control her emotions, and she threw her arms around her father and began to sob.

"I was afraid of this," Arthur said as he consoled her.

"I thought he would just remember that Harry was his best friend, accept everything, and then we could all move on!" Ginny cried.

"It's been too long for it to be that simple," Arthur said.

"So you're saying we need a plan?" Ginny asked.

"I'm saying that Ron needs to talk to Hermione, and they're both too stubborn to do it on their own," Arthur replied.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, walking into the room with Hermione and Tonks.

"Well, Ron was just here," Arthur explained. Ginny couldn't help but notice that Hermione looked like she had just seen a ghost. "He said some hurtful things to Ginny and then left, don't worry."

"It's okay, I'm fine," Ginny assured them.

"Well, I just wanted to say goodbye before I had to go back to the office," Tonks said, obviously feeling a little awkward. "I could only get a little bit of time off."

"It was so good to see you again!" Ginny said, giving Tonks a hug.

"You too. Bye everyone!"

"Wait, Tonks, how are you leaving?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, Minister Bones gave me another portkey so I could get back." As she spoke Tonks pulled a pocket watch out of her robes and winked. She pressed the button on the top of the watch and in a flash she disappeared.

"Hermione," Arthur said suddenly. "It's been so long since I've gotten to talk to you, would you like to take a walk with me?"

Picking up on his hint, Hermione smiled and nodded. "I'd love to, Mr. Weasley." She took his arm and led him back outside.

Ginny took a look around the room and motioned for Harry to follow her before taking off in the direction of her room. She reached her room in record time, and had barely cast a locking and silencing charm on her bedroom when Harry attacked her. She responded eagerly to his advances, barely registering his roaming hands and kisses. He was leading her back towards her bed, not breaking their contact. Ginny would have given anything in that moment to give in and enjoy her time with Harry, but when they fell over on her bed she was brought back into reality. She separated herself from Harry, and lay on the bed trying to catch her breath.

Harry seemed to understand her reason for stopping, because he didn't protest. He rolled over on his side and ran a hand up her arm whispering, "I've missed you so much," over and over again.

"We have to do something about Ron," Ginny said finally. "He's not going to come around on his own, and I'm starting to think he won't come around even if I tell him everything. I think he needs to talk to Hermione."

Harry sighed. "She'll never agree to speak to him. And she's finally settling down; she's finally happy. I can't take that all away from her now."

"She'd be happier with Ron," Ginny pointed out. "She's just too stubborn to admit it."

"And what do you propose we do about that?"

Ginny's eyes twinkled. "I have a few ideas."

* * *

A/N Well I almost missed my Sunday deadline after the first week I set it. Fortunately, everything worked out. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and as always, please review! Thanks for all of your support. This was a hard chapter to write due to the number of people involved, and I'd love to know how you think it came off. 


	17. Blowing Up

Ginny woke up the morning feeling very refreshed. She had thoroughly enjoyed the time she spent with her father, and was sad to see him leave. Hermione, however, she still had mixed emotions about. Half the time, she saw Hermione as her closest female ally and best friend, but the rest of the time she couldn't help but see Hermione as the person who tore her family apart. She didn't feel like she could express those feelings to Harry, though. She knew that Harry and Hermione had formed their own little family, and talking Hermione down in any way would only cause tension between herself and Harry. And tension with Harry was the last thing she needed.

Ginny looked over at the team's calendar from her bed. The only thing marked for the day was uniform fittings and practice for the team. She let out a sigh of relief at the thought of the easy day before her. She was feeling emotionally spent, and an easy day was exactly what she needed. Ginny lay back down in bed hoping to catch a few extra minutes of sleep. The owl tapping on her window had other ideas, apparently. She got out of bed and opened the window to let the owl with the package in.

"These must be the uniforms," Ginny said excitedly. She quickly got dressed and ran downstairs with the package.

"Good morning!" Ginny said as she walked into the dining room where the team was eating breakfast.

"What's that?" Wesley asked with a mouth full of eggs.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Tank said, never looking up from his own breakfast.

"Yes, Dad," Wesley said, sounding a little annoyed.

It dawned on Tank what he had just done. "Sorry, with the kids being here yesterday the old habits came crashing back."

"What's that?" Jeff asked, pointing at the parcel Ginny was holding.

Ginny smiled broadly. "If I'm not mistaken, these are your uniforms."

"Well let's see; open them up," Dustin urged.

"Alright," Ginny said excitedly. She tore open the parcel and the package enlarged before her. She smiled as she saw the beautiful blue and red robes revealed. She pulled the one on top out and held it out at arm's length. Somehow, holding the uniform in her hands for the first time, everything seemed real. In less than a week the team would be competing in their first match. That was when it hit her: they could lose in the first round. She didn't know whether that thought made her happy or sad. She would be able to be with Harry, finally, but that also meant settling things with Ron. And even forgetting everything that was going on with Harry, she would really miss living with the team. They were all a family, in an odd, dysfunctional kind of way.

"Earth to Ginny," Jacob called.

Ginny shook her head. "Sorry about that."

"You look like your best friend just died," MJ commented.

"It just hit me that this will all be over soon," Ginny explained. "Even if you guys make it all the way to the finals, we move out of the house Friday morning before the party."

"Way to bring everybody down," Dustin said. They all sat in silence for a few minutes, lost in their own thoughts.

"You guys should try these on," Ginny finally spoke up. She distributed them to everyone and they all disappeared to go change. Ginny sat down in the living room waiting for them to come back, starting to contemplate for the first time since she left school what she really wanted to do with her life.

"What do you think?" Harry asked. Ginny jumped about a mile in the air. She hadn't even seen him come back downstairs.

She smiled at him coyly and stood up. "Well, let me get a good look." She circled him, examining him from all angles. "Looking good, Potter. That uniform is dead sexy if I do say so myself."

Harry blushed at her remark. "Thanks… I think."

Ginny continued to be amazed at the things that left her lips without her consent. She was starting to sound like a scarlet woman. What scared her the most, though, was that she didn't think she minded.

"Come on, Potter," Tank called as he walked down the stairs followed by the rest of the team. "We're wanted out on the pitch."

"Coming," Harry answered. He looked at Ginny one more time before walking away. Ginny felt like she could melt under his gaze. The intensity of what she felt for Harry continued to shock her. She felt like she would do anything he ever asked her to, and she still wasn't even completely sure of how he currently felt about her. She let out a long sigh and sank back down into the couch. Nothing was ever easy when it came to Harry.

After a few more minutes of stewing in her thoughts, Ginny made herself get up and start her daily routine. If she couldn't get her mind off of Harry, it was going to be a long day no matter how much work she actually had to do.

* * *

The next morning Ginny woke up ready to face the day. Her sleep hadn't been plagued by nightmares, and she only had one big task facing her. Of course, that task was accompanying a reporter around the manor all day, and that had the potential to be disastrous, but Ginny felt like she could handle it. She had handpicked the reporter, Maggie Jones, that was assigned to come. She vaguely remembered Maggie from her days at Hogwarts, and Ginny knew she was a very sweet person. A very sweet person that was known for portraying a positive image with all of her articles, even where there was none to be found. Ginny couldn't help but feel proud of herself when she thought about all of the hard work she put in to get Maggie there instead of someone horrible, like Rita Skeeter. 

Ginny rolled out of bed and got dressed, taking a little extra time getting ready than she usually did. She tried to tell herself that it was incase Maggie brought a photographer with her, but the little voice in the back of her mind knew it was because she remembered exactly how pretty Maggie was. Okay, it wasn't even necessarily that she was pretty as much as it was that she resembled Cho Chang. Ginny couldn't remember, but their mums might have even been cousins or something. She didn't want to be jealous or insecure, but with her relationship with Harry still so fresh and untested; she didn't want to take any chances.

By the time Ginny got downstairs, the team was already outside at practice. She went into the living room and waited by the fireplace where Maggie was due to arrive. Right on time green flames exploded in the fireplace, but it wasn't Maggie that stepped out.

"Ginny Weasley, it is so good to see you!"

Ginny was so surprised she wasn't exactly sure how to react. "Padma, it has been awhile," she said slowly.

"I was just talking to Ron back at the Ministry, and I was telling him how long it's been since I've seen any of you guys. I still see Lavender a lot since she and Pavarti were so close, and I run into Luna from time to time since we're in the same field of work, and of course I work with Colin now, but your crowd has been absent every time we've gotten the old school gang back together," Padma said.

Ginny could tell that if she didn't interrupt her she would never get the chance to ask why she was there. "Not to be rude, but what are you doing here?"

"Oh!" Padma exclaimed. "Maggie wasn't feeling well, so our boss gave me the assignment. He said that you had been very particular about who came today, and he assumed that since you knew me you wouldn't have a problem with me coming instead. I hope you don't mind, this is my first really big assignment and I don't want to mess it up."

Padma was a little more outgoing than Ginny had remembered her, but Ginny just assumed that she had changed after the war, just like she had. "I'm sure everything will be fine. The team's out at practice now, so why don't we sit down and set everything up?"

Padma nodded and sat down on the couch with Ginny. "I thought it would be best if I had one on one interviews with everyone first, and then I could just observe them in their day to day activities. I think I'll have everything I'll need to write the article after that."

Ginny nodded. "That should be fine, as long as you're clear that the questions need to stay Quidditch based."

"I can't ask anything about their personal lives?" Padma asked, looking skeptical.

"I guess you can play it by ear a bit," Ginny replied hesitantly. "I think it'll all depend on the guy as to how much you can ask. MJ and Tank will probably answer any question you throw their way, but Harry and Jacob probably will want to avoid all personal questions."

"You think Harry wouldn't even talk to someone who he knows about his personal life?" Padma asked brightly.

Ginny was starting to doubt the reason Padma was there. It was looking like Maggie wasn't sick at all; that the editor just thought he would get more information about Harry from Padma. "You won't get much out of Harry at all," Ginny said firmly.

Padma's face fell slightly, but she was quick to recover. "So, now we just wait?"

"Well, Mr. Perry arranged for the guys to finish practice at different times today, so I believe you'll get Wesley and Jeff first, followed by Harry and Tank, and then finally Dustin, MJ, and Jacob. As long as Coach Mason lets them out on time, the first wave should be heading our way in a little over half an hour."

Padma smiled. "Good, then we have time to catch up a bit."

Ginny raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Is this catching up officially or unofficially?" she asked.

"Unofficially, of course," Padma assured her.

"Well then, how have you been?" Ginny asked.

Padma sighed, and suddenly she seemed to Ginny to be exhausted and much older. "As well as can be expected I think. I'm sure you know how hard it is to move on when you lose someone you love."

"I do, unfortunately. But I can't imagine what it would be like to lose my twin," Ginny said. She suddenly wasn't nearly as annoyed by Padma's prior perkiness, and she felt like she was talking to someone who understood where she was coming from. "There were days last year when I just didn't want to go on anymore."

"I know exactly what you mean. I couldn't imagine what it would have been like if I'd been back at school for another year. There are too many memories there." Padma shook her head and sighed again. "And you were head girl, weren't you?"

"I was."

"I don't know how you did it all."

Ginny laughed dryly. "Neither do I. Honestly, a lot of last year is a bit of a blur to me. I know I went to classes, attended meetings, played Quidditch, and took my N.E.W.T.S., but I don't really remember doing much of it."

"I was acting the same way for a bit, but then I just threw myself into my work and I haven't looked back since," Padma said, smiling brightly again.

"Well, I'm glad you're doing something you enjoy," Ginny said sincerely.

"So, what do you plan to do when the World Cup is over?" Padma asked.

Ginny had to stop herself from saying start a relationship with Harry. She frowned at the actual reality of what she was going to do when the World Cup was over. She had been able to forget about it when she first started working, but now it seemed to be everywhere she looked. "I'm not sure yet," Ginny said with a forced smile.

"I'm sure you have the grades to do anything you want, and with your connections at the Ministry I doubt you'd ever have a problem getting a job there," Padma assured her. "And if you ever want to work for the Prophet I'd put in a good word for you," she added.

Ginny had to fight not to laugh at the thought of herself as a reporter working for the Prophet. "Thanks." She looked over at the clock on the wall. "Jeff and Wesley should be coming in soon."

"Anything I should know about them before I get started?" Padma asked.

Ginny thought about it for a moment before responding. "Well, Jeff grew up in France with his dad. He's actually good friends with Ron."

Padma's eyes lit up. "Oh, really? Ron was looking very good when I saw him earlier." Ginny was concentrating so hard on not laughing she almost missed Padma's next question. "Is he seeing anyone right now?"

Ginny shook her head. "Nope, he's been single since his Hogwarts days. He spends most of his time at work these days; he's very dedicated to his job."

Padma pulled some papers out of her bag and began to shuffle through them. "I heard a rumor that Ron hasn't spoken to Harry since the leaving Hogwarts," she said nonchalantly, not looking up from her papers.

Padma was so casual about how she asked that Ginny almost answered her completely honestly. Fortunately, she caught herself before she revealed anything she would have regretted. "They're both very busy and are going in two different directions with their lives," Ginny answered.

"Since they're both working in Quidditch?" Padma asked, cocking an eyebrow at Ginny.

Fortunately, Ginny was saved by Jeff and Wesley walking into the room. Ginny jumped up from the couch and walked over to them. She ushered them both back over to where Padma was sitting. "Padma, this is Jeff Collins and Wesley Wright, the beaters for the English National Team. Boys, this is Padma Patil, the reporter from the _Daily Prophet_."

"It's wonderful to meet you, Ms. Patil," Jeff said, extending his hand.

Padma shook his hand and smiled charmingly. "It's Padma, and the pleasure is all mine. Please, sit down. I want you all to be comfortable while we do this." Jeff and Wesley sat down and Padma pulled out a Quick Notes Quill. "I was planning on talking to all of you separately, but I don't see any problem on doing the two of you at the same time if you don't."

"Not at all," Wesley replied automatically. "Jeff and I are a team."

"That's wonderful," Padma said sweetly. "Are both of you married?"

"I am," Wesley said.

"I'm not," Jeff added with a wink.

"I'll have to remember that," Padma replied flirtatiously. It was all Ginny could do to keep from rolling her eyes. "So, are you guys excited about your first round match?"

"Definitely," Jeff said. "I know that the World Cup isn't going to be the same as years past, but I think we can all make this year's special. We're playing to honor those we lost in the war, and to give everyone something to cheer for again. I think you could say England was hit hardest by the war, and we want to give our countrymen something to be proud of."

"That's so touching," Padma gushed.

"I was actually in the running to be on the national team before they cancelled all Quidditch," Wesley spoke up. "I almost didn't try out again because it was hard not to think about my friends I was trying out with that didn't make it through the war, but I think they would have wanted me to."

"Do you guys like living here?" Padma asked.

"I miss my wife and my son, but living here is like being back at school," Wesley said. "I love it, but I wouldn't want to stay here any longer than I have to."

"I love it here," Jeff said. "I didn't spend much time in England until I was out of school, and this is the first real home it's felt like I've had here."

"You grew up in France, right?" Padma asked.

Jeff smiled proudly. "I did. It was just me and my dad growing up, but I can't complain. Dad always taught me to be the best I could be, and now I'm here playing for the English National team."

Ginny was trying not to laugh at the sappiness of the answers being fed to Padma. She knew that there was some genuine feeling behind them, but she thought the guys were laying it on a little thick.

"Hello," Tank said cheerfully, walking into the room.

"Are you done with practice already?" Jeff asked.

"Yep!"

Padma stood up and walked over to Tank. "I'm Padma Patil with the _Daily Prophet. _You must be Taylor Thompkins, keeper and captain of the team."

"One in the same," Tank replied. "But please, call me Tank."

"So, are you done with us?" Wesley asked.

"For now," Padma replied cheerfully. "Will I be seeing you two at the party on Friday?"

"Lori and I will be there," Wesley said.

"I'll be there, but I'll be dateless," Jeff said.

"Well, maybe I'll save you a dance," Padma said smiling. "I'll see you two in a little bit." Jeff and Wesley nodded and headed up to their bedroom. "Isn't Harry supposed to be with you?" Padma asked, frowning.

"Well, he was," Tank said slowly. "But he really wasn't feeling well. That's actually why I'm here a few minutes early. Coach Mason excused us because Harry looked like he was going to faint."

"So, I won't get any time with Harry?" Padma asked.

"If Harry's not feeling up to an interview there's nothing I can do about it," Ginny said firmly.

"As long as you're not just trying to hide him from me," Padma joked, but Ginny could tell that she was serious.

"I'll just go check on him," Ginny said. She hurried up the stairs before Padma or Tank could say anything else to her. She headed straight for Harry's room, worrying the entire way that she would have to explain to Mr. Perry why Harry was too sick to play in the first match. She reached Harry's room and knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in," she heard Harry call. Ginny wasted no time in heading into the room. She was surprised to see Harry sitting on his bed reading a book, looking perfectly fine.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked, no longer feeling quite as concerned for his well being.

"Oh, I'm completely fine," Harry said, not looking up from his book.

"So you are just trying to get out of the interview?" Ginny asked.

"Did you not get my note?" Harry asked. Ginny shook her head. "I got another threat today; this one mentioned you."

Ginny sat down on the edge of Harry's bed, fearing her legs would give out on her. Her voice was shaking when she tried to speak. "So they know about us?"

"Looks that way."

"Why aren't you more upset about this?" Ginny asked harshly.

Harry sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Because all it said was 'don't talk to the press or I'll tell them about Ginny.' There's nothing I can do about it other than just not talk to the press."

"Can I see the note?" Ginny asked.

Harry shook his head. "It destroyed itself after I had finished reading it. I think it was on some kind of timer after I touched it."

"You're being too calm about all of this," Ginny said. "This is just like when we found out what Ron did with your letters." She found Harry's relaxed state to be annoying. If she was freaking out, she wanted him to be freaking out with her.

Harry took a deep breath before speaking. "I'm sorry, but I can't allow myself to get worked up over something I can't control. One of the things Dumbledore taught me was how to control my emotions. I spent too much time in the past lashing out at people I loved in anger."

"You mean he taught you how to suppress your feelings," Ginny spat. "You've never been able to really say how you were feeling. You've never been able to let me in!"

"Is that what this is about?" Harry asked. "You think I'm holding back how I feel about you? I've told you how I feel about you!"

"No, you've told me how you **felt** about me," Ginny replied. "You said yourself you weren't sure if you were still in love with me." Ginny didn't want to be angry with Harry, she really didn't. But suddenly, all of her fears and insecurities were coming to the surface and she couldn't stop the words that were coming out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry if I'm not as in touch with my feelings as you are. I'm sorry if I'm not ready to just proclaim to the world exactly how I feel about you because I don't know!" They were both yelling now, and Ginny was grateful that Tonks had cast a permanent silencing charm on Harry's bedroom because of his night terrors.

"I'm not saying you have to profess your undying love for me," Ginny began.

"Good thing too," Harry cut her off, "since if I did we'd both lose our jobs! Or is that what you want?"

"Of course it's not what I want!" Ginny exclaimed. "I'd never want you to have to stop doing what you love, and I don't want to lose my job, either!"

"Well that's not what it sounds like," Harry retorted. "It sounds like you want me to go downstairs and proclaim to the reporter that I'm madly in love with you, damn the consequences!"

Ginny felt her anger growing. She didn't even care anymore about the person who was threatening them; it was just about the furthest thing from her mind. "That's not what I said!" she cried angrily. "You're making it sound like I'm just a selfish little girl!"

"Aren't you?"

Ginny fought the tears back in her eyes. She was determined that she would never let Harry see how he could make her cry again. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down before speaking again. "I came up here to make sure you were okay. It's obvious you are. I'm going back downstairs now to deal with the reporter." Harry didn't respond so Ginny just headed for the door. When she reached the doorway, she turned around. "Padma Patil is the reporter, by the way. She really wanted to speak with you." Ginny walked out of his bedroom and fought her urge to slam the door behind her.

She went back downstairs and found Padma talking and laughing with MJ, Dustin, and Jacob. "How are things going down here?" she asked politely.

"Oh, we're doing just fine," Padma said smiling. "I'm just wrapping up talking with these three."

"Good," Ginny said, forcing a smile.

"How's Harry feeling?" Jacob asked, looking concerned.

Ginny tried her hardest not to let her anger with Harry show. "I think he's just been working too hard lately. It's nothing a little bed rest won't cure."

"Well, I'm going to take a short nap before lunch," Jacob said.

"I think I'm going to do the same," Dustin said. "Are you sticking around for awhile?"

Padma nodded and smiled. "I'll be around until you all go back out for your late afternoon practice, so please just stick to your normal schedules."

"In that case, I'm going up too," MJ said. "I'll see you two lovely ladies in a little while."

The last thing Ginny needed was to be left alone with a reporter right now, friend or not. If Padma started questioning her about Harry, who knew what she would say with her emotions still so raw and fresh. She watched Padma pack up her notes and quill, racking her brain for an excuse to escape to her bedroom. Unfortunately, she couldn't come up with any good, logical reason to leave a reporter alone in the manor.

"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions, on the record?" Padma asked suddenly.

Ginny was reluctant to agree, but she didn't want Padma to think she was hiding anything. "Sure, I guess."

"What's the dynamic of the team like?"

Ginny smiled her first genuine smile in what felt like ages. "They're a family. I grew up with six brothers, and living with these guys reminds me of that. Only, my brothers fought more."

Padma chuckled. "That was the impression I got as well. Who do you think is the best player on the team?"

Ginny's smile slowly evaporated. She didn't know what exactly Padma was trying to accomplish by asking her that question. "I don't think I can answer that; I don't even watch their practices."

"So, do you think you could talk Harry into coming down to talk to me for just a minute?" Padma asked.

Ginny put on another fake smile and shook her head. "He really just isn't up to it today."

It looked like Padma's bubbly personality disappeared the second the words left Ginny's lips. "Are you sure you just aren't hiding him?" she asked with a scowl. "The public has a right to know what's going on with Harry. Not to mention my boss is going to kill me if I don't have a single comment from Harry in my article."

Ginny was taken back by Padma's accusation, however accurate it may have been. "He really just isn't feeling well," she said again with a clenched jaw. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check on lunch." Ginny left Padma behind in the living room and walked into the kitchen. She leaned against the wall, using all of her might not to collapse on the floor. Her day had just gotten very, very difficult. She allowed herself a few minutes to close her eyes and stew in her thoughts before having to deal with reality again.

"Dobby?" Ginny called.

Dobby instantly appeared before her. "Yes, Miss Wheezy?"

"Will you make sure someone takes some lunch up to Harry's room? And I need you to make sure they tell him to stay up in his room until after the reporter is gone. Tell him I'll send someone up for him when it's safe."

"Yes, Miss Wheezy. It won't be any trouble at all," Dobby said enthusiastically. "Dobby only wishes he could take it to Harry Potter himself."

"Thank you, Dobby," Ginny said. Dobby smiled at her again before disappearing into the second kitchen.

Ginny closed her eyes and tried not to let everything get to her all at once. _"This is going to be a long day."_

_

* * *

_

By the time Ginny made it up to her bedroom that night, she was about to crack. She felt like she had been fighting not to cry ever since her fight with Harry. Padma had stuck around the manor until just before dinner; talking with the guys and watching them play. Ginny had practically had to beg her to leave. Ginny had skipped dinner so she could finally be alone and let out a good cry. Her mum used to tell her that sometimes all it took to make things better was a good cry. Thinking about her mum was all the leverage Ginny needed to send her over the edge. The tears started streaming down her cheeks, and Ginny made no effort to stop them. She lay down on her bed and tried to muffle her sobs with her pillow. The last thing she needed was someone coming upstairs and finding her in her current pathetic state.

She wasn't sure how long she had been crying when the tears finally stopped. Her mum had been right; she did feel a little better now. Unfortunately, crying wasn't going to solve her current problems with Harry. She had no idea how everything had gotten so bad. She hadn't even realized she was feeling the things she told him until after she had already said them. She sighed and rolled off of her bed. If she was going to sleep this early she was determined she would at least change clothes. She quickly changed into a tattered old nightgown she'd had had since her third year. It was much too small now, but being a Weasley she'd always been frugal. She crawled back into bed and pulled the covers up around her chin, trying to keep all of the bad thoughts away.

It appeared, however, that even the comfort of her bed couldn't keep Harry out of her thoughts. It was times like this when she couldn't even remember why she loved him. Half the time he didn't even act like he cared one way or the other whether they were together. Of course, the other half the time he acted like she was the most important thing in the world to him. But that was Harry, her Harry… always confusing, never simple.

She could remember the first time she saw him like it was yesterday. She had been standing at the train station, waiting to cross through the barrier, when he appeared. He had looked so lost and alone. He was so polite when he asked her mum how to get through to the other side. She had never told anyone, but she knew he was special before she knew who he was. Of course, that only helped fuel her crush on him. But her crush had changed after her first year. She didn't think it was possible to describe her feelings for Harry as only a crush after he saved her life.

After everything that had happened with the diary, Ginny kept most of her secrets to herself. It was for that reason she didn't tell anyone until Harry that someone had visited her when she had been about to die. She hadn't told Harry, but the woman seemed to know that she was meant to be with Harry; that being with Harry was the reason she needed to keep on living. She didn't want to scare Harry with that information when he was just starting to trust her again. But she could still remember the look on Harry's face when she first woke up perfectly. He looked so relieved to see that she was alive. That one look kept her hope alive much longer than it would have otherwise.

Of course, hoping that Harry would one day love her had never been an easy thing. She could vividly remember watching him fall from his broom during his third year. It terrified her that he could die without ever really knowing the depth of her feelings for him. She couldn't stand the thought that he might die without ever really knowing how much he was loved.

If she was honest with herself, though, she knew that she didn't really start to love him until her fourth year. It would be just her luck that she would start to really fall for him when she was going out with another boy to keep her mind off of him, and while he was at his moodiest. It was just a sign that their relationship was always going to be complex. The good news from that year had been that she was finally able to start talking to him like he was a normal person. Somehow, really loving him had made it possible for her to treat him like a real person instead of the hero who saved her life.

Somehow, it was Sirius's death that really ignited their friendship. When he showed up at the Burrow that summer, he was moody and was snapping at everyone. Ginny knew that he needed someone to put him in his place, and everyone else seemed to be too scared to say anything to him. She knew that even though he might not like her yelling at him, he would respect her for it later. And she was right. After that summer they had been real friends, not just acquaintances.

So she kept going out with other boys to keep her mind off of him. She knew that no matter how much she may love him, he just wasn't ready for her yet. Dean lasted the longest after Michael, but he was too close to Harry for her to really focus on him. After that there was a long string of boys: Zacharias Smith, Anthony Goldstein, Terry Boot, Geoffrey Hooper, Stephan Cornfoot, Kevin Entwhistle, Harold Dingle. None of them meant anything to her and none of them lasted much longer than a trip to Hogsmeade, but she had to do something to keep her mind off of Harry.

But then her sixth year she just stopped going out with other people all together. She knew that it wasn't fair to keep stringing all of the other boys along when Harry was the one she really wanted. Ginny determined that she was just going to be happy with only having Harry's friendship. That was one of the happiest years of her life, until the war started to really pick up. Those nights she spent alone with Harry, sitting in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, were some of her very favorite memories. There were no pressures, no pretenses, just the two of them sitting in comfortable silence. Ginny didn't think things could get any better. That was until he asked her out.

Somehow, life had managed to get in the way of their happiness. Right when she should have had everything she'd been waiting for, things had fallen apart. They spent too much time secretly still loving one another while staying away because they thought that was what the other wanted. He hadn't come to her with the problems in his life, and she hadn't believed in him and their relationship. Not that he had given her any real reason to believe in their relationship.

Now she was finally supposed to have what she had been waiting all this time for, and life was getting in the way again. First it was just the rules, but now it felt like there was a mountain between them. Ginny didn't know how the barrier had gotten there, but it had made it's presence known earlier that day. Maybe after all they'd been through they still didn't trust each other. Maybe they couldn't ever trust each other again.

When Ginny pictured her future she saw Harry. She saw the two of them, sitting on the back porch of a house, overlooking a garden with little kids running around. She could see them kissing the way they had on the Quidditch pitch. The problem came when she tried to picture Harry's future. Sometimes, she saw it the same as she saw her own, but other times she saw Harry sitting on the back porch with Hermione, playing with baby Lily.

She could just picture Harry telling her he loved her everyday for the rest of her life. Oddly enough, she could also hear him telling her to wake up every morning. She could even feel him shaking her, trying to get her to wake up.

Ginny slowly opened her eyes. She tried to scream when she saw someone sitting on the edge of her bed, but a hand quickly covered her mouth. When she calmed down the hand was removed.

"Harry!" she hissed. "What are you doing here?"

"I ruined my bedroom."

Ginny couldn't quite understand the connection between the two things. "There isn't much to destroy…"

"The bed broke and I destroyed my trunk."

Ginny sighed. "Harry, maybe it's because I just woke up, but I don't understand what you're trying to tell me."

"I just had the worst night terror I've ever had. This is the first one I've had since the night I slept in here with you." Harry was refusing to meet her gaze and was talking so softly Ginny could barely hear him. "I can't stand having you angry with me. I don't want to lose you over a stupid fight. Especially since I'm not even sure what our fight was about."

Ginny thought she had cried all she could earlier, but she was wrong. The tears were streaming down her cheeks again. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice shaking. "I don't know what got into me, but suddenly everything was too much."

Harry moved over so he was lying down in bed next to her so she could cry on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean everything I said. I guess I'm not quite as good at keeping my emotions in as I thought I was."

Ginny let out a choked laugh. "I'll just be happy when the World Cup is over and we don't have to hide our relationship anymore."

"Hopefully, our plan with Ron and Hermione will work as well," Harry added.

Ginny groaned. "I don't even want to think about that right now."

Harry leaned over and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm so sorry," he whispered again.

"Promise we'll me we'll never fight again," Ginny said softly.

Harry chuckled and pulled her closer. "I can't do that. With our tempers, we'll probably fight all of the time."

"I was afraid of that."

"I can promise that I'll always be here for you. I can promise that no matter how angry I am with you, I'll still care about you. I can promise that I will never let other people keep us apart again."

"After the World Cup, of course," Ginny added playfully.

"Of course."

Ginny snuggled up against Harry. "Will you stay here with me tonight?"

"I was hoping you'd ask me that." Harry got under the covers with Ginny, and she was only slightly embarrassed at the state of her nightgown. They lay in silence for a few moments, both lost in their own thoughts. "I wish this is how it could always be," Harry said suddenly. "Just the two of us, in our own little world, away from everything."

"One day," Ginny replied sleepily. "How'd you get here, by the way?"

"Invisibility cloak," he answered.

"So no problems in the morning?"

"Nope."

Ginny's eyes were closed, but she smiled at the thought of getting to spend a simple night together. She relaxed into the safe feeling of being in Harry's arms. "Good night, Harry."

"Good night."

* * *

A/N Well, once again I pushed my Sunday deadline, but I haven't broken it yet! As always thank you for your reviews, and please continue to let me know what you think. I do have some exciting news... I've been looking into posting this story on other fanfiction sites, and before I do that I've been revising all of my earlier chapters. Lately it feels like the characters have taken over for me, and I'm trying to go back and add that feeling to the beginning of the story. My goal is to have every chapter at over 5000 words. I'll keep you all updated! A slight teaser for the next chapter... When I sat down to write the next chapter I was planning on writing the Ministry party, but Ginny kept me occupied for the entire chapter, delaying the party. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	18. Breaking Down

A/N Okay, I know I'm late... but we'll blame it on technical difficulties and hopefully by the end of the chapter you'll have enjoyed it so much you won't even remember that I'm a day late updating!

* * *

There was a feeling of dread hanging in Ginny's bedroom. She pulled her comforter high above her head and tried to hide from the sun's first rays peaking through her window. The last day in the house had passed quickly and uneventfully. Everyone had been too tired from practice and packing to really have too much of a goodbye celebration, so they had all called it an early night. And now the time had come to say goodbye to their peaceful little existence; the real world was knocking on their door. 

The team had Saturday off before heading to Japan for their first match on Sunday. They were going to a small island off the coast, where the pitch was actually built inside of a dormant volcano. It was said to be one of the most exquisite places in the wizarding world, and a very intimidating place to play.

The soft click of her door opening made Ginny sit straight up in bed. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her door open and close without any visible person entering. She could hear the footsteps moving closer to her bed.

"Scoot over," Harry said as he pulled off his invisibility cloak. Ginny happily obliged. Harry got in bed with her and pulled her body close to his own. After the last time he had appeared unexpected in her bedroom, Ginny had made sure that her nightgowns were a bit more appropriate.

"I was wondering if you'd show up before we had to leave," Ginny said sleepily, placing her head on Harry's chest.

"How could I leave without saying goodbye?" Harry asked.

Ginny began to draw small circles on his chest, enjoying their quiet time together. "You're going to see me again tonight, and then we'll be traveling together on Sunday."

Harry sighed. "It won't be the same. Hermione is my date tonight, not to mention Ron will be at the party, and then I'll be under constant supervision while we're traveling with the team."

"You're right; this isn't going to be any fun," Ginny pouted.

"Just remember that the end is in sight now. Soon, we'll be able to be together whenever we want," Harry assured her.

"If we can get Ron and the rest of my brothers to accept us," Ginny reminded him.

"Things will eventually work out," Harry said, sounding like he was trying more to convince himself than her.

Ginny longed to just stay in Harry's arms for the rest of the day, but she knew that wasn't a decision she could reasonably make. Even if it were allowed, she had too much work to do to waste a day by staying in bed. "We should get up," Ginny said reluctantly.

"I know," Harry replied. They got out of bed and Harry picked up his invisibility cloak before heading for the door.

"I'm going to miss this," Ginny said, wrapping her arms around Harry's waist.

Harry dropped his forehead so it was resting against hers. "And here I thought it was me you were going to miss," he said playfully.

"You know I will." Harry leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, staying careful not to get carried away with his emotions.

"Bye," Harry said softly before disappearing again beneath his cloak. Ginny looked longingly where she knew he was still standing. Her heart longed for her to tell him she loved him, but she knew it wasn't the time or the place.

"Bye, Harry." The door opened and closed again, and Ginny knew she was alone. She knew that if she didn't do something to keep her mind off of Harry, she wouldn't accomplish anything all day. So, she turned her attention to packing the last of her belongings. It felt strange to be packing up the room she had come to think of as home, but she knew it was time to say goodbye. She knew that in order to move on with the future she had to say goodbye to the past. And moving on with Harry was at the top of Ginny's to do list.

* * *

Before she knew it, Ginny was levitating her trunk in front of her on the front stoop of the Burrow. She didn't want to move back into her childhood home, the place where all of her memories haunted her, but she didn't have much of a choice. She just had to keep reminding herself that it was only temporary; that she would be leaving again on Sunday morning. Of course if she didn't find another job, she'd never be able to move out after the World Cup. Just as Ginny was contemplating retreating and hiding out until the party, the front door swung open.

"Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to come inside?" Tonks asked, smiling at her.

"I guess I'm coming in," Ginny said with a sigh.

"Well, don't sound too excited or anything," Tonks teased.

"I was just thinking about what I'm going to do when the World Cup is over," Ginny explained as she entered the house. "It's hard not to think about it when there is a real possibility that everything could be over on Monday."

"I'm sure you'll figure something out," Tonks assured her. "Here, have a cup of tea." Ginny smiled gratefully and took the cup, sitting down at the kitchen table.

"I hope so," Ginny said, taking a sip of her tea. "What are you doing here, by the way?"

"I'm here to do girly things with you," Tonks said with a giggle.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, I'm going to the party tonight as unofficial security, so Charlie thought you might like to have someone here to get ready with," Tonks explained. "I think he thought that we could both use some fun time away from work and away from boys."

"Does is bother Charlie that you work mostly with men?" Ginny asked.

"I think he's okay with it," Tonks said with a shrug. She then smirked and raised an eyebrow at Ginny. "Does it bother Harry?"

Ginny laughed. "I don't think so. In fact, it's hard to get Harry to admit that anything bothers him, and that bothers me. He was so calm when he got the second threat we had a row about it."

"And then he destroyed his bedroom," Tonks finished. "Minister Bones wants him to come into the Ministry on Saturday to undergo some tests."

"But that's his birthday!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Well, if there's something we can do to stop his night terrors, I think it's worth it to him to give up some time on his birthday."

"I'm sure you're right," Ginny said. They sat in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Ginny felt like she still needed to clear the air with Tonks, and decided that this was as good of a time as any.

"Tonks," Ginny began slowly. "Are you still opposed to me becoming close with Harry again?"

Tonks looked surprised to hear Ginny ask such a blunt question. "I was never opposed to it. I think that if you can make Harry happy then you'll be good for him. I'm just concerned that you won't be able to be there for him if things get tough again."

"But it's not my fault I wasn't there for him the first time," Ginny argued.

"I know that, but you just said so yourself that you don't know what you want to do with your life. Harry is a person who needs stability; he needs to surround himself with people he knows are definitely always going to be there," Tonks explained.

Ginny rolled her eyes in response. "And you and Hermione were both so reliable with your Auror and Department of Mysteries careers?"

"Well, Hermione is settling down now; she gets Lily soon. And hopefully soon Charlie and I will be settling down and starting a family, and when that happens I'll be taking some time off work," Tonks said, trying to justify her thoughts.

"And all of that is better than me just not having a set plan for my future?" Ginny asked. "I'm only seventeen; I don't think it's the end of the world if I'm not sure what exactly I want to do."

"Exactly. You're only seventeen. Are you really ready to take care of Harry like he needs?" Tonks asked.

"Who says he needs taking care of? Isn't he a perfectly capable wizard? Arguably the most powerful wizard of our time? I mean, why did you all send Dobby to take care of Harry? He seems to get along just fine to me, outside of his night terrors of course," Ginny said, her frustration growing.

"You just don't understand!" Tonks exclaimed.

"Well maybe I would if someone would just tell me what was really going on!" Ginny dropped her head on the table in frustration. She felt Tonks's hand on her back and looked up.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I don't mean to write you off as not caring about what happens to Harry, but it's been a long, rough year for all of us and being protective over Harry is part of my job," Tonks said gently. "I think you'll know what's going on soon enough. I have it on good authority that Harry is going to tell you everything himself, as soon as he's ready."

"Knowing him, it'll be another year before he's ready," Ginny said with a sigh.

"Have faith in him," Tonks reminded her. "If you care about him as much as you say you do, you'll wait until he's ready."

Ginny sat in silence, contemplating everything Tonks's just told her. If she was to be believed, Harry was going to tell her everything. She made the mistake of not believing in him once, she wasn't going to do it again.

"Tonks I need your help with something," Ginny said finally.

"Shoot."

"Do you know where I could get a picture of Harry's mum? I've never seen one, but I wanted to do something special for Harry's birthday," Ginny said.

Tonks furrowed her brow in thought. "I think I've got something that you can have in some of the stuff I inherited from Sirius. I inherited several of his personal belongings, and I always meant to give the picture to Harry, but for some reason I never did."

"It would be great if I could have it," Ginny said enthusiastically.

"Well no promises, but I'll pop over to my flat and look if you'd like," Tonks said.

"That would be brilliant!"

"One condition though: when I get back we're going to forget all of the serious stuff and do fun girly things like we were supposed to."

"Deal," Ginny said smiling. She was determined to win Tonks over; to make Tonks see how dedicated she was to Harry, even during a time when she couldn't be with him. A little brownnosing never hurt anyone.

"Alright, I'll be right back." Tonks stood up from the table and walked into the living room so she could floo over to her flat.

Ginny stood up from the kitchen table and decided to take her trunk up to her room. She levitated it up the stairs, and hesitated before opening the door to her childhood bedroom on the third landing. She wasn't sure if she was ready to face the memories that would be invoked by that room. She'd only stayed at the house very briefly since she started her seventh year at Hogwarts, and for some reason, the pain she had been able to ignore in the past was currently resting in the front of her mind.

She took a deep breath and slowly turned the door knob. She took a step into the room and looking around. The only change that had been made to the room since her mother died was that it was now covered in dust. It was obvious that her father and brother weren't bothering to clean the rooms they didn't use. The room looked liked it belonged to a little girl with no problems in her life, and it made Ginny want to scream. The peaceful images brought on by the room conflicted so completely with the memories in the front of Ginny's mind it made her feel nauseous.

She looked at her bed and was reminded of her mother taking care of her when she was sick. That image was coupled in her mind with the memory of her mother being hit directly in the chest with the killing curse and falling to the ground. She looked over to her desk and saw Percy helping her with her summer homework after her first year. Then she saw Percy's dead body appearing in the back yard of the Burrow with a warning written across his chest in blood. Ginny could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks, but she was powerless to stop the images that were now pouring through her mind. Bill helping her break into their broom cupboard for the first time… Bill diving in front of Harry, taking the killing curse that was meant for him before his body went limp.

The images were coming faster than Ginny could handle. She collapsed to the ground, her body shaking from her sobs. The things she had worked so long and hard to forget, the things she had buried in the back on her mind, were forcing their way out. She was having trouble breathing and she couldn't see straight. She was on her knees on the ground, gasping for breath, praying for someone to show up and find her.

"Ginny!"

Ginny was aware of someone else's presence in the room, but her mind was too far gone to acknowledge them. She could feel someone pulling her up from her floor and removing her from the room, but all she could see were the faces of the people she'd seen die. She felt her body moving down stairs, but her mind was watching Lupin die trying to protect his former students. It was becoming easier to breath, but the images refused to go away.

"Ginny we're going to use a portkey," she heard the same voice call, but she couldn't find it in her to respond while she watched Justin Finch-Fletchley bleed to death. Her mind then switched to the memory of her Hogsmeade date with Justin, followed by the image of him petrified. She felt something being placed in her hand, followed by a tug at her naval.

Her fall to the ground seemed to temporarily shake the memories from her mind, but they slowly started to creep back into her consciousness. She tightly closed her eyes, and she started to register the voices around her.

"Tonks! What's wrong with her?"

"I think she's having some kind of mental breakdown. I left her alone for a few minutes to go home and get something, and when I got back she was on the floor."

Before the second voice had finished speaking Ginny felt a pair of strong arms around her body. She felt a warm body behind her own, clutching her close. She felt safe, protected. A hand was gently stroking her hair, and there were words being whispered into her ear that she couldn't quite comprehend. It suddenly felt like a wall was being constructed in her mind, forcing the bad memories away. Ginny slowly opened her eyes. Her mind was clear, and she could focus on the room around her.

"Harry?" she asked, very confused. Although the bad memories were gone, she felt like she had just encountered a dementor.

"I'm here," Harry whispered. He pulled her up from the floor and sat down on the couch, pulling her into her lap like a little girl. He continued to stroke her hair with one hand, while making sure to hold her close with the other. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently.

It didn't seem to hit Ginny until that moment exactly what had just happened to her. Whatever the wall was that had formed in her mind had allowed her to temporarily block out everything she had just been through, but Harry's simple question had brought it all crashing back to her. But now it was the memory of her panic attack instead of the memories of death and destruction. It seemed to be easier for her to handle in one piece instead of separate memories. Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and buried her face in his shoulder, starting to cry again.

"I was in my bedroom and all I could see were the people I loved dying," she sobbed. "Mum, Bill, Percy… there were so many people!"

"It's okay, it was just a memory," Harry said soothingly.

"It hurts so much," Ginny whispered. "I miss them all."

"They wouldn't want you to dwell on the pain," Harry said slowly. "But I don't think they'd want you to completely block it out like you've done, either."

Ginny thought about what Harry had said. It was true; she had never really dealt with all of her pain. She had suppressed everything so she could focus on school, but now it was all coming out. "It was just too much at once," she said. "I had held it all in for so long that when it finally came out it overwhelmed me."

"You just can't let it all build up inside again."

Ginny sniffed and wiped her nose on Harry's sleeve. "Like you?"

"I let things out in ways you don't know," Harry explained. "When the World Cup is over I'll show you. But for now we just need to focus on getting through one day at a time."

"I think I can do that," Ginny said, drying her eyes. "Oh Merlin, I must look like a total mess!"

Harry leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I think you look beautiful."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I'm a mess."

Harry placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Beautiful."

"How did I get here, by the way?" she asked, fighting a smile.

"Tonks made a portkey and brought you. She left when she thought I had things under control so that we could have some privacy," Harry explained. "It's a good thing she's an Auror and that I'm an important person, otherwise her unauthorized portkey could have gotten all of us in trouble."

"I'm sorry to be such a hassle," Ginny said sheepishly.

"I'm just glad I got to see you again before the party tonight," Harry admitted. "I miss you when you're not around."

Ginny grinned at him. "So you helped me for entirely selfish reasons?"

Harry frowned. "I helped you because you're important to me and I couldn't stand to see you suffer. I'd do anything to help you."

A thought crossed Ginny's mind. "Harry, exactly how much did you help me?"

Harry looked down, embarrassed. "I entered your mind and built a wall to block out all the memories."

Ginny's jaw dropped. "That's really powerful magic, Harry."

"I know. I can do it, but I can't always control it, so I only use it in the most extreme of circumstances," he explained.

Ginny reached up and kissed him. "Thank you."

Harry smiled and kissed her again. "You're welcome." Ginny pulled his face towards hers and covered his mouth with her own. After everything she had been through, she needed to fill her mind with a happy memory; she had to get rid of the cold feeling that was still dwelling in her heart. Ginny put all of her energy into kissing Harry, as if she were fighting a battle in her mind between good and evil, and kissing Harry was the only way good could win. Harry seemed to sense her need for intensity, and was happily trying to help her mission.

Simply kissing Harry and letting him hold her wasn't enough for Ginny right now, though. She needed to feel his skin, feel the warmth radiating from his body. Her hand strayed down his chest and tried to work its way underneath his shirt. Harry jumped at the first contact, but soon relaxed again into her kiss. Just her hand on his chest still wasn't enough; she needed more. Ginny pulled her other hand out of Harry's hair and began tugging at the hem of his shirt with both hands; struggling to get it off over his head. When she finally succeeded, she stifled a giggle at the flush that crept from Harry's face all the way down his chest. She pulled her body close to his and ran her fingers along his bare back. Finally, she was starting to feel warmth fill her heart again. She was brought back to earth when she felt Harry's hands begin to slide on her back, underneath her shirt. It was something Ginny hadn't even considered in her desperate search for the warmth of Harry's skin, though it wasn't completely unwanted.

"Oh my!"

Ginny jumped so far in the air she landed beside Harry with her legs still dangled across his lap. She slowly turned her head to confirm that Hermione was now standing in the room. Hermione had turned her back to them, obviously embarrassed, but Ginny felt that if Hermione was embarrassed she had to be mortified.

"I am so sorry," Hermione said, still not facing them.

"No, it's entirely my fault," Harry said. He gently pushed Ginny's legs off his lap and began to look around for his shirt.

"I think it's behind the couch," Ginny said, dropping her head into her hands embarrassedly. "And it's my fault, not Harry's."

Harry found his shirt behind the couch like Ginny said, and quickly put it back on while Ginny tried to straighten her own appearance. "Hermione, you can turn around."

"Again, I am so sorry," Hermione said.

"You didn't do anything wrong; you just walked into your home," Ginny assured her. "I've just been having a rough day and Harry had been helping me."

"Right, well, I took a half day at work so I could get ready for the party tonight. The new dress robes are beautiful, Harry. I love them." Hermione smiled warmly at Harry, and Ginny couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Harry should be buying her new dress robes and taking her to parties, not Hermione.

"It's nothing," Harry replied with a shrug, casting a nervous glance in Ginny's direction.

Hermione turned to look at Ginny again. "Did Harry tell you I'm working in the Care of Magical Creatures Department? I haven't run into Charlie yet, but I'm sure I will eventually."

"He does a lot of work out of the office," Ginny explained. "I think he misses Romania, but he'd miss Tonks more if he was there."

"I'm sure," Hermione replied. Ginny couldn't be sure, but she thought that Hermione looked to be on the edge of tears. "I'm just going to go take a shower. I'm sure I'll see you tonight, Ginny."

"Bye, Hermione," Ginny said. As soon as Hermione disappeared into her bedroom Harry collapsed onto the couch next to Ginny again. Ginny buried her face in Harry's shoulder and started laughing. "I am so embarrassed."

"At least you still had your shirt on!" Harry exclaimed.

"Sorry about that, by the way," Ginny said, blushing.

"Don't be," Harry said softly, brushing a lock of hair off her face.

"I should be going," Ginny said reluctantly. "Will I get to see you tomorrow? I need to give you your birthday present."

Harry frowned. "I'm not sure. I don't know how long I'll be at the ministry for testing."

"So I won't see you again until Sunday?" Ginny pouted.

"You'll see me tonight," Harry reminded her.

Ginny groaned. "It won't be the same. Our boss will be there… Ron will be there… Whoever's threatening us will probably be there."

"Don't think about that. Just enjoy yourself tonight."

"I'd enjoy myself more if I was going with you," Ginny said with a sigh.

"You know we can't do that," Harry said gently. "But I'll make you a deal: as soon as the World Cup's over you'll be my date to every party I go to."

Ginny smiled despite herself. "I think I'll like that."

Harry chuckled. "You say that now; just wait until you find out exactly how many parties I have to go to every year."

"I'm really going now," Ginny said unconvincingly.

"Bye," Harry said, leaning over and giving her a kiss. Ginny jumped up from the couch before she could get too involved in the kiss to completely lose track of time again.

"How am I supposed to get back?" she asked suddenly.

"Tonks made a portkey for you," Harry explained. "The activation word is 'girly,' for whatever reason."

Ginny giggled. "I'm afraid I'm going to owe Tonks a day of doing girly things. I think this one has been officially ruined."

"It's not too late," Harry said laughing. He stood up from the couch and walked into the kitchen. He returned a few seconds later holding a tea cup. "Here you go."

"So, bye then, I guess," Ginny said, wishing she didn't have to return to the place that sparked her mental breakdown.

"I'll owl you on Saturday when I finish at the Ministry," Harry promised.

"Okay. Bye Harry," Ginny said, making no real effort to move.

"Bye, Gin."

"Girly!" And with a tug at her naval, Ginny was gone.

Ginny arrived back in the living room of the Burrow where Tonks was sitting nervously with Ron. Ginny realized that she must look like a complete mess. Her state of appearance was confirmed when Ron jumped up from where he was sitting in concern as soon as he saw her.

"Ginny! Are you okay? Where were you?" Ron cried.

"I'm fine, Ron," Ginny assured him. "I just had a bit of a reaction to being in my room, and I needed to get out of the house."

"Well you could have at least told Tonks where you were going," Ron said, the relief showing on his face.

"I'm sorry, I just wasn't thinking straight," Ginny added.

"Well, the important thing is that she's okay," Tonks said. Ginny shot her a grateful look at her attempt to close the conversation.

"Ginny, I need to apologize to you," Ron said suddenly. "I was being a real arse the other day at the manor. I just didn't handle seeing Harry with Hermione very well… I never do."

"I'm not going to say that it was okay for you to yell at me like that, Ron. You really hurt me. You should be glad that I haven't started hexing you yet for some of the things you've done," Ginny said, using all of her might to keep her cool. She wanted to have her wits about her when she finally got to confront Ron on keeping her letters from her.

"I should have never accused you of betraying me with Harry. I know you wouldn't do that to me," Ron said.

Ginny had to fight to keep from bursting into tears. She couldn't confront Ron now. How was she supposed to explain to him exactly how she knew about the letters? No, she would just have to wait until after she and Harry put forward their plan to get Ron to talk to Hermione. Then, maybe he could understand.

"I forgive you, Ron. But it still wasn't okay," Ginny said.

"By the way, a package came for you while you were gone," Tonks interrupted. "It's right over there."

Ginny shot Tonks a curious look and walked over to where she had pointed. She saw a large box, and when she took off the packaging she saw it was from Madam Malkin's. She couldn't help the grin that covered her face. She lifted the lid and revealed a beautiful green material. She pulled the robe out of the box and touched the soft material to her face.

"Who's that from?" Ron asked.

Ginny exchanged a nervous look with Tonks. "I don't know," she lied.

"There wasn't a card," Tonks added.

"That's a pretty expensive gift from a stranger," Ron commented. Ginny couldn't help but think he sounded a little suspicious. "I mean, who would send you something like that? You don't have a date for tonight, do you?"

Ginny shook her head. "I've been too busy to worry about things like that."

"You know, I ran into Dean Thomas the other day at the Ministry," Ron said nonchalantly. "He was asking me how you were doing. I bet if I flooed him he'd love to go with you tonight."

"Because he and I parted on such good terms," Ginny muttered under her breath. "I'll be fine," she assured him. "Besides, you don't have a date either, do you?"

Ron shook his head. "I don't plan on staying very long."

"Well, I've got a very sexy date for tonight," Tonks said grinning.

"I can't believe you actually got Charlie to agree to come," Ron said.

"Not everyone hates these things as much as you do, Ron," Ginny pointed out.

"Alright, that's enough chit chat," Tonks said, putting her hands on her hips. "I came here to do girly things with Ginny to get ready for this party we all have to go to, so we are going to do girly things if it kills us!"

"You're not including me in that, are you?" Ron asked.

Tonks slapped his arm laughing. "No. Come on Ginny, grab those gorgeous new robes and bring them upstairs so we can start getting beautiful!" Ginny grinned, picked up the box containing her present, and ran up the stairs with Tonks, leaving Ron puzzled behind them.

When they reached the door to Ginny's bedroom Tonks went right in, but Ginny stood hesitantly outside the room. She wasn't sure if after everything she'd just been through she was ready to face the memories again.

"Are you coming?" Tonks asked.

"I'm not sure," Ginny replied hesitantly.

"You have to face your demons eventually," Tonks said gently.

"I know," Ginny said quietly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She tried to focus on the wall that Harry had constructed in her mind, and the warm feeling that being close to him gave her. Feeling as prepared as she could be, Ginny opened her eyes and crossed into her bedroom. She was calmed when she saw that the bed was just a bed, the desk was just a desk, and the window was just a window.

"Everything okay?" Tonks asked, examining Ginny as if she were about to break.

Ginny let out a sigh of relief. "Yep."

"So I'm assuming Harry sent the dress robes?"

"I'm assuming the same thing," Ginny said with a shrug. "I know he bought Hermione new dress robes for tonight, so it would only make sense that these are from him as well." Ginny pulled them completely out of the box and held them up against her body.

"They're beautiful," Tonks gushed.

Ginny couldn't stop the silly grin that crossed her face every time she thought about Harry. "I wish I was going with him tonight."

"No, you don't," Tonks said chuckling. "You wouldn't want to deal with the situation you'd be putting yourself in if you went to the party with Harry tonight. The press, the attention, your family, your boss… Trust me; it'll be much better if you don't go to the party with Harry tonight."

"But does he really have to bring Hermione?" Ginny exclaimed. She quickly brought a hand up to cover her mouth. "I said that out loud, didn't I?" she asked sheepishly.

Tonks looked at Ginny sympathetically. "I know it's going to be hard, but you just have to remember that even though he loves Hermione, he's never been in love with her."

"But even you think she'd be better for him," Ginny said, falling backwards onto her bed in frustration.

"I never said that," Tonks said defensively. "It's just that she's Hermione, you know. She's smart and reliable, and she's been there with Harry through the worst of it."

"And I'm hot tempered, unreliable…"

"That's not what I said!" Tonks interrupted her. "You and Hermione are just two different people; you're the one Harry fell in love with. That's what's important."

"I hope you're right," Ginny said with a sigh.

"Well you won't ever know if you don't start getting ready for this party," Tonks said, doing her best to sound cheerful.

"Alright," Ginny replied, forcing a smile. "What kind of girly things do you have planned?"

* * *

A/N Okay, so this is just one more chapter I hadn't intended to be a part of this story, but I know I'm glad that it is. Coming up next is the big party! Thanks for your continued support for my story, your reviews are really what get me through when I don't feel like writing and when I'm frustrated because I feel like I'll never reach the end!


	19. The Party

The four of them standing outside of the banquet hall made an intimidating group. Ron was the tallest, his shaggy red mane peering above the rest of them. Charlie and Tonks stood together next to him, their arms linked. They were about the same height, and Tonks had made her hair match his for the occasion. Ginny was on Charlie's left, and while she wasn't sure what she physically looked like, she knew her insides were a direct contrast with the confident outward appearances of the rest of her entourage.

She knew her new dress robes were stunning, and with the help of a few simple alteration charms they fit her perfectly. Tonks had leant her some emerald jewelry that had once belonged to the 'noble and most ancient house of Black,' and then she had helped curl Ginny's hair. Everything about her appearance should have made her feel confident and beautiful, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go horribly wrong.

"Are we going to go in sometime tonight?" Ron asked impatiently. It was only then that Ginny realized they'd just been standing outside of the building for several minutes.

"You lot go on in, I need to wait out here for a bit," Tonks said, leaning over and kissing Charlie's cheek. "I'll be in soon."

"Fine by me," Ron muttered, heading for the door. "The sooner I get in the sooner I can leave."

"You'll be okay out here by yourself?" Charlie asked.

Tonks nodded. "It's sweet that you care, though."

"Well then, Ginny would you like to accompany me inside?" Charlie asked, extending his arm to Ginny.

Ginny smiled and took his arm. "Thank you."

When they were just inside the building Charlie leaned down and whispered into Ginny's ear. "You'd think it'd be bad for a bloke's ego to know that his girl could whip him in a duel, but for some reason I find it to be a turn on."

Ginny was torn between being embarrassed by her brother's over sharing of personal information and being happy just to hear him sound like he was enjoying his life. She was glad Tonks was bringing something good into his life, and Ginny could only hope that one day she'd be doing the same thing for Harry.

"As long as you don't start telling me exactly how she turns you on, I'm happy for you," Ginny teased.

Charlie looked at Ginny and suddenly looked very serious. "I love her; I want to marry her."

"So why haven't you done anything about it yet?" Ginny asked gently.

"I'm scared of losing her, too," Charlie whispered. Ginny barely heard his words, but she knew exactly how he felt. After losing so many people you loved, it was hard to want to put your heart out there again. That was part of what made Harry special; he had Ginny's heart long before she knew such loss.

"You have to take risks, Charlie," Ginny pointed out. "And not just risks that put your life on the line." Before Charlie could respond, they entered the banquet hall and were greeted by deafening music coming from the band directly to their left. "So much for talking!" Ginny shouted in Charlie's ear. She could see his shoulders shaking, but it was too loud for her to hear his laughter. She saw the tall forms of several members of the team towards the back of the hall and motioned to Charlie to head in that direction.

Charlie shook his head. "I'm going to get something to drink and look for Ron!"

Ginny nodded in agreement and they parted ways. Ginny crossed the dance floor, heading towards the team. She was grateful that the level of the volume lessened as she put some space between herself and the band. She caught Tank's eye as she approached the group.

"Well, Miss Weasley you are looking lovely tonight," Tank said.

Ginny blushed. "Thanks. You're all looking very nice as well." Tank, Wesley, and Dustin nodded their appreciation. "Where are your better halves?"

"They're all in the ladies room," Wesley explained. "You witches can't do anything alone, can you?"

"I resent that," Ginny said smiling.

"Have you seen Harry yet tonight?" Dustin asked.

"No," Ginny replied much quicker than she would have liked. "Why would I have seen Harry?"

"Because you're both supposed to be here?" Tank asked.

"Oh, well no," Ginny said again.

"You're too tense," Wesley said. He grabbed a passing waiter by the arm and grabbed a glass off of his tray. "Here, have a drink."

Ginny took the glass and took a hesitant sip. It burned going down her throat and she had to fight to keep from spitting it out. "What is this?" she asked.

Wesley shrugged. "I think they're called Wailing Witches."

"Oh yeah, I signed off on these," Ginny said. "We got them all for free because they're a new product the Three Broomsticks is trying to advertise."

"Oh look, there's Harry!" Tank said happily, pointing towards the door. Ginny looked to see Harry walking across the dance floor, his armed linked with Hermione's. He looked good enough to eat. His robes were a stunning silver, and the looked brilliant with Hermione's new violet dress robes. They looked so happy and comfortable together. Ginny put her glass to her lips and drowned the rest of it in one gulp. She couldn't help but cough as it felt like her throat was on fire. "You all right there, Ginny?" Tank asked. Ginny could only nod meekly in response. She searched around frantically for another waiter so she could get another glass. Fortunately, waiters were not on short supply. She grabbed another glass off of the nearest waiter's tray and began working on her second drink. When she walked back over to the team, Harry was standing there with Hermione. She noticed Tonks was standing close by, talking with Charlie.

"Hi Ginny," Hermione said cheerfully.

"Hello," Ginny replied, forcing a smile.

No one else seemed to notice how tense Ginny was because they were too busy looking for a drink for Harry. Dustin was the first one to be successful, and he as good as shoved the glass into Harry's hand.

"A toast to the birthday boy!" Dustin exclaimed.

"Here, here!" Wesley and Tank called. They clanked their glasses and all downed their beverages. Harry only watched them, looking highly amused.

"Now Harry, it's rude not to drink with us," Wesley chided him. Harry reluctantly took a sip of his drink. His eyes widened as the first taste went down his throat, but he didn't lower his glass until there wasn't anything left in it. All of the guys cheered and Tank went off in search of another drink.

Hermione rolled her eyes and looked at Ginny. "Boys," she muttered. Ginny chose not to comment because she herself had just finished her second drink and was eyeing the room for a third.

"Ginny!" she heard a voice call. She turned around, the room only spinning slightly when she did so, and saw Jacob and Chloe heading towards her. She quickly took another glass and took a sip before greeting them.

"Hello," she replied, not having to try nearly as hard to smile anymore. "How are you doing?"

"We're doing great," Jacob said enthusiastically.

"It's good to see you two again," Chloe added. Ginny was slightly confused by her comment until she realized that Hermione was still standing beside her.

"It's good to see you, too," Hermione said, smiling. "How are things at the Ministry?"

"They'll be a lot better once the World Cup is over," Chloe replied. "Things are so stressful right now."

"I know! I'm just getting started in my new department, and I'm already feeling overwhelmed. Things are only going to get more stressful when I get my daughter next week."

"Would you like to dance?" Ginny heard what Jacob said, but was confused as to why he was asking her.

"Me?"

"Well, these two are bound to spend the rest of the night talking about the goings on at the Ministry, and you don't look like you want to be a part of it any more than I do," Jacob explained with a grin. Ginny finished off the rest of her drink and took Jacob's arm. He led her to the dance floor where a waltz was playing. With a little bit of help from Jacob, she assumed proper dancing form and she began to follow Jacob's lead around the dance floor.

They danced for two numbers, while Ginny was managing to keep an eye on the goings on around her. She saw Chloe and Hermione seated at a table having what appeared to be a very intense conversation; Harry was sitting at a table with MJ, Tank, and Wesley, too many empty glasses spread between them for Ginny to count; Tonks and Charlie were dancing closely, looking to be having a wonderful time; Ron was standing sulkily in a corner with only a glass and a frustrated looking Jeff for company.

"Thank you for the dance, Ginny," Jacob said. Ginny was brought back from her thoughts and realized that the music had stopped playing. She looked to where the band was supposed to be, confused as to what was going on. "They're taking a break," Jacob explained, looking highly amused. "I'm going to go join the guys… are you coming?"

Ginny looked over to where Harry was sitting, and shook her head. She didn't think she could trust herself to be around him. "I'm going to go look for another drink."

Jacob looked at her like she was a small child that needed reprimanding, but didn't stop her when she went chasing after a waiter. She had happily started sipping on her fourth drink when she realized that she was standing about two feet away from Ron. She walked over to where he was standing.

"Having fun, Ron?" she asked.

"No," he replied angrily. "Mr. Perry's already cornered me and told me he expected me to be here until the end of the party and Jeff just told me the same thing."

"So why aren't you with Jeff now?" Ginny asked. Ron nodded his head in the direction of the table where the team had taken residence. "Oh," Ginny said softly when she saw Jeff at the table with Harry. It appeared that the number of empty glasses on the table had at least doubled.

"She's been over there at least three times to check on him," Ron added glumly. The thought of Harry and Hermione acting like a loving couple made Ginny finish her newest drink in one big gulp. Ron chuckled and handed her another glass.

"I stole an entire tray from a waiter," Ron explained sheepishly.

"How many have you had?" Ginny asked.

"Lost count," Ron said before taking another sip of his drink. The band began playing again, and it was causing a slight ringing in Ginny's ears.

"Ron! Ginny!"

"Here we go again," Ginny said under her breath. "Hello, Padma."

"Hey," Ron mumbled.

"You're looking good enough to eat tonight, Ron," Padma said, batting here eyelashes.

"Thanks."

"My article will be in the paper tomorrow, Ginny. Make sure you get a copy. They're going to be using it as a companion piece to the story writing up tonight's party. Colin's here somewhere taking pictures, have you seen him?" Ron and Ginny shook their heads, both feeling a little dizzy from the pace Padma was speaking. Padma put her hands on her hips and turned her focus strictly on Ron. "I do believe you've owed me a dance for at least four years now, and I don't intend on taking no as an answer."

"But…" Ron's protests were futile; Padma had taken his hand and was pulling him towards the dance floor. He shot a helpless look in Ginny's direction, but she only laughed. Ginny couldn't help but grin as she watched Ron stumble across the dance floor. It had finally felt normal to be with Ron again; regardless of the fact that they were both well are their way to being completely drunk. She couldn't help but turn her attention back to Harry. Hermione was with him again, rubbing his back, and it looked like all of the guys were assuring her that Harry was okay. Despite the lurch in her stomach at watching Harry interact with Hermione, she couldn't help but grin when MJ passed Harry another drink as soon as Hermione walked away.

A stray thought crossed Ginny's mind. She wondered if she was destined to always love Harry from afar.

"You know, beautiful women shouldn't hide in corners at big, fancy Ministry parties." Ginny felt the hot breath in her ear and she knew instantly who it was.

"Zac, what are you doing here?" Ginny asked, turning around so she could face the guy she'd once spent a Hogsmeade visit with.

"I'm a reserve on the Magpies… didn't you know?"

Ginny shook her head. "I didn't keep up with Quidditch much last year."

"How about a dance?" Zac asked, bowing to her. Ginny didn't normally believe in things like karma, but when Zac began to lead her out on the dance floor without waiting for her reply, she knew she had it coming. He held her a little closer than she preferred, but she was feeling the affects of the alcohol too much to fight him. "So how have you been doing?" he asked as he swept her across the dance floor.

"I've been better," Ginny replied honestly. She strained her neck to try and keep an eye on Harry's table while they danced. For the first time that night, she met Harry's gaze. He looked at her curiously, but before Ginny could send him any kind of signal that she wasn't enjoying herself Zac twirled her around and broke their gaze.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay. I just can't wait for the World Cup to be over so…" Ginny cut herself off before she said something she would regret. She would have to be more careful about what she said and to whom.

"Ginny, I asked so what?" It was obvious to Ginny that it wasn't the first time Zac had asked the question, but she couldn't remember hearing him before.

"So I won't be so stressed out," she answered quickly. "I've just got a lot on my plate right now."

"Well we should go out sometime when the World Cup is over," Zac suggested. "I'd love to really catch up over lunch or something." Ginny had a vague memory of Zac asking her out several times after their one trip to Hogsmeade together, but couldn't remember exactly why she rejected him. Something about him being a little forward… something about Harry…

But right now Ginny couldn't think of a good reason to reject his offer other than Harry, so she simply nodded her head. At the thought of Harry she looked for him again, and when she saw him she was overcome with the need for another drink. "Excuse me, Zac, I need to go to the ladies room." Ginny separated herself from her dance partner and made her way to the loo. After relieving herself she headed back out in search of another drink. She took up residence again in corner she and Ron and been occupying and found their prior tray of drinks. She picked one up and began sipping on it as she surveyed the ballroom.

Harry was sitting at the same table, but now he was only accompanied by Jacob. She noted that MJ, Tank, and Wesley were on the dance floor. Hermione was sitting a few tables away from Harry, still talking with Chloe, but it didn't look like her heart was in it anymore. Ginny noticed that Hermione seemed to be staring off into the distance longingly. She tried to follow her gaze, and couldn't help but smile smugly when she realized that Hermione was staring at Ron, sitting at a table, still talking to Padma. Turning her attention away from Hermione, Ginny looked around and saw Jeff talking with Dustin and a blond man. She craned her neck to try and get a better look at the third man.

"No… it couldn't be…" she muttered under her breath. Jeff took a step to the right and gave Ginny a perfect view of the third man: Draco Malfoy. Ginny knew she was staring, but she didn't think anyone could see her in her corner. She had no idea what Malfoy could be talking to Jeff and Dustin about.

"See anything you like?" a smooth voice whispered in her ear. Ginny swore under her breath; apparently she was going to have to face many faces from her past tonight.

"Dean," Ginny said calmly, turning around to face him.

"I can't believe Malfoy got off scott free," Dean commented, following her gaze. "Apparently Draco's dad made sure he wasn't marked before he left school so they couldn't convict him of anything. Now the rumors are that he's spending all of his family's money as fast as he can. I think his latest interest has been buying a Quidditch team, which explains why he's here tonight."

Ginny was grateful for the information, but already tired of the company. "What are you doing here, Dean?"

"I was invited personally by the Minister," Dean explained coolly. "I did a painting for her family, so she owed me a favor."

"I hear your paintings are quite the rage these days," Ginny said, trying to think of a way to escape the situation. Seeing none right away, see picked up another glass and took a very big sip.

"With both the wizard and muggle worlds," Dean said cockily.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I hear you're quite the hit with the ladies as well."

"Jealous?"

"Please."

"Just because we didn't work out the first time doesn't mean we can't give it another go," Dean said, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

Ginny fought the urge to puke, though she wasn't sure if it was from the implication or the alcohol. "Didn't we break up because Harry separated us in a broom cupboard and he only promised not to tell Ron if you left me alone?"

"You should have just let me hex him."

"Dean, I didn't want to go into the broom cupboard with you in the first place."

Apparently Dean didn't understand what she was saying because he pulled her glass out of her hand and started pulling her towards the dance floor. "Dance with me."

"I don't want to," Ginny hissed, but she was already having trouble walking from all the alcohol she consumed and didn't have the strength to fight him. Suddenly, the room started spinning and Ginny almost collapsed, allowing him to hold her much closer on the dance floor than she liked.

Ginny looked around trying to find Harry. She tried to imagine that it was Harry gently swaying back and forth on the dance floor with her. She tried to imagine that it was Harry whispering into her ear that they should blow off the party and go back to his flat; that it was Harry's hands on her bum.

Ginny was brought back into the real world. "Dean!" she hissed. "Move your hands right now!" Ginny glanced back in Harry's direction and discovered that he was staring at them; he looked like he was about to snap. In fact, Ginny would have sworn that three of the empty glasses on Harry's table shattered at that very moment.

"So, what do you say? You want to sneak out of here? It's not like you have to pretend to be pure and innocent for your brother's sake anymore."

Ginny looked at Dean incredulously; he thought she was just pretending to be pure and innocent? She couldn't believe that his ego could fit in the room. "I think our dance is over." She stormed away from him, managing to keep her pride despite her drunken stumbling. She was so angry she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and ran right into someone's back.

"I'm so sorry," Ginny said, not realizing who she ran into.

The man slowly turned around and smiled at her maliciously. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the little Weaslette."

"Malfoy," Ginny spat.

"Trying to pretend that you are worthy like the rest of us tonight? I mean, you obviously didn't buy those robes yourself," Malfoy said. He looked her up and down, and Ginny felt very uncomfortable under his gaze. "Although, your blood is still pure enough that I might give you a go… How much do you charge these days?" Ginny was seeing red. She brought up her hand to slap him across his face, but her reactions were so dulled by the alcohol he was able to catch her hand easily. He held on to her wrist tightly, and Ginny struggled to get free.

"Let me go," Ginny growled, putting emphasis on each word.

"Typical Weasley trash to get pissed at a high profile Ministry function. Maybe I should take you home with me to teach you a proper lesson." Malfoy was looking at her with a primal hunger, and Ginny was starting to panic.

"Let her go, Malfoy." Ginny had never been more glad to hear Harry's voice in her entire life. She saw Harry grab Malfoy's arm, and she felt hers be released immediately.

Malfoy lifted the sleeve of his robe and looked at a burn mark on his forearm. He stared at Harry in shock, a raw fear behind his eyes. "What did you just do to me?"

"I didn't do anything," Harry replied coolly. "You don't treat a woman like that, regardless of who she is."

"Oh, I've heard all about your reputation with the women," Malfoy said snidely, appearing to have recovered a bit. "Is the Weaslette another one of your whores?"

This time Ginny was able to make contact with Malfoy's face when she tried to slap him. She wasn't sure if it was from the force of her slap or if Harry did something, but Malfoy suddenly starting stumbling backwards. After only a few seconds of trying to regain his balance he fell, pulling the closest person to him down with him. Unfortunately for Malfoy, that person was a waiter carrying a tray of drinks. The tray was sent flying in the air and it landed on a group of burly looking Quidditch players standing nearby. They were all drenched and looking for someone to blame. They approached Malfoy, looking ready to kill.

Ginny turned to Harry and smiled, but the look he was giving her was so intense she shivered. He discreetly grabbed her hand and began to pull her away from the crowd. Ginny hoped that the scene Malfoy had just caused was keeping the attention away from them.

Harry lead her into the very back of the ballroom; a corner that was almost completely empty and dark. It was nice to finally get some time alone with Harry, although something in the back of her mind was telling her it was wrong. She was about to thank Harry for his good timing when he backed her against the wall and crushed his lips against hers in a bruising kiss. Apparently, Ginny wasn't the only one who had been wishing they had been together all night.

Ginny immediately lost herself in the feeling of Harry's kiss. It felt like it had been so long since she had gotten to let him hold her, even though it hadn't even been a day in reality. She ran her hands through his hair, and heard Harry let out a moan of contentment. Ginny couldn't help but let out a moan of her own when Harry's mouth traveled down her neck and his hands ventured to her bum. The action wasn't nearly as revolting when it was Harry instead of Dean. Feeling daring, she let her own hands venture down to Harry's bum. She gave it a slight squeeze, and was very pleased with the reaction it got from Harry.

Harry brought his mouth back up her neck and captured her lips in another kiss. Ginny felt a slight loss when his hands began to travel up her back, and was considering moving them back down herself. She settled on retaliation, and moved her hands off his bum. She turned her head slightly so she could nibble on Harry's ear. Harry let out another moan, and pushed his body even closer towards hers. She could feel something pressing against her stomach, and couldn't help but gasp when she realized what it was. Harry silenced her gasp with his mouth and Ginny relaxed into the pure bliss she was feeling. She felt Harry's hands on her waist, traveling slowly, leaving a trail of wanting behind him. They soon reached her chest, and Ginny whimpered when they covered her breasts. She put both of her hands in Harry's soft hair, and leaned her head against the wall as Harry planted torturously light kisses on the small bit of skin showing on her chest.

"I hated seeing you dance with those prats tonight," Harry whispered before nibbling on her ear.

"I was imagining they were you," Ginny admitted, closing her eyes. "I hated not being able to be near you tonight."

"I hate dress robes right now," Harry muttered. He pulled away from her slightly, and Ginny almost fell down without him holding her up.

Ginny looked at Harry sympathetically. She knew exactly how he felt. "We could try and sneak out of here…" Ginny wasn't sure why she suggested it. It may have been left over in her mind from Dean's earlier request, it could have been her usual boldness whenever Harry was concerned, or it could have just been the alcohol talking, but Ginny really didn't care. All she knew was that she would give anything to get to be alone with Harry right then.

Harry seemed to agree with her. He took her hand and began to make his way to the exit, being careful to try and stay close to the wall and away from the crowd. Every now and then he would drop her hand when they got too close to anyone, but they made it almost half way there before running into any problems. Unfortunately, when they finally did encounter a problem, it was a very big one.

As soon as it happened, Ginny knew she should have seen it coming. She should have remembered the little back corner she and Ron and been hiding in for most of the night, but she had been so lost in the intoxicating force that was Harry she had completely forgotten. And now she would have to pay.

Harry stopped dead in his tracks, standing face to face with Ron. His body was perfectly still, and Ginny could have sworn he went into some kind of a trance. Ginny was partially shielded behind Harry, but she could still see the fury in Ron's eyes.

"What are you doing with my sister?" Ron asked, his voice cold.

Harry still seemed to be frozen in place, so Ginny decided to speak up. "We were just going to step outside so we could discuss the travel plans for Sunday." Neither Ron nor Harry seemed to hear her.

"What did I tell you about staying away from my family?"

"Ron, please just listen to me," Ginny begged. "I sought out Harry because I needed to talk to him about the team!"

"Stay out of this, Ginny. I'm mad enough with you already," Ron said, never breaking his gaze away from Harry.

"Ron, you need to calm down," Harry finally spoke up. Ginny couldn't believe how incredibly calm Harry sounded. If she couldn't see how tense his body was, she wouldn't believe he was angry at all. "You're getting upset over something you don't understand."

"I understand that you've basically ignored Hermione all night. You had the gall to steal her away from me and yet you treat her like shit. And now you're trying to seduce my little sister as well? I don't think so."

"Ron!" Ginny exclaimed, appalled at his words.

"Ron, you don't know what you're talking about," Harry said, still not losing his cool. "You've never listened when I tried to explain."

For whatever reason, Harry's last comment sent Ron over the edge. He brought his arm back and swung for Harry's face with all his might. Ginny flinched as Ron's fist connected with Harry's jaw, but Harry didn't move a muscle. Suddenly, Ron started falling backwards like Malfoy had done earlier. Harry sent Ginny an apologetic look before hurrying away.

Ginny rushed over to where Ron was now lying on the ground to make sure he was alright. He appeared to be a little woozy, but other than that nothing seemed to be wrong. While Ron tried to recover his bearings, Charlie and Padma both came hurrying over.

"Is he alright?" Padma asked.

"I think so," Ginny said quietly. Padma knelt down beside Ron and began to stroke his hair. Ginny wasn't sure how that image made her feel, but before she had time to really decipher her emotions she felt Charlie pulling her away from Ron. She looked at him curiously.

"I didn't see exactly what happened," Charlie whispered into her ear. "But Tonks went after him to make sure he was alright. I'll cover for you if you need to go talk to him."

"Thank you," Ginny whispered gratefully.

"Just promise me one thing," Charlie said, grabbing her arm to prevent her from leaving.

"I'll try."

"Promise me you know what you're getting yourself into, and you're not going to get hurt."

Ginny smiled at Charlie, touched that he was trying to look out for her. "I promise, and I'll talk to you about everything later."

"Then you better hurry up and go while Ron's occupied with the pretty reporter."

Ginny hurried out of the ballroom and began to look for Harry and Tonks. It didn't take her long to find the pair sitting on the steps outside the building. Harry's head was in his hands, and Tonks was rubbing his back in a comforting way.

"Hi," Ginny said quietly. Harry looked up and his eyes looked glassy behind his glasses; it looked like he'd been crying. Ginny sat down beside him and pulled his hand in her own. "What's wrong?"

"I hate to be the one to say this, but you can't do this here," Tonks spoke up suddenly. "Anyone could stumble upon you. If you need to talk, you can apparate over to my flat since you obviously can't go to the Burrow and the wards are too strong at Harry and Hermione's place."

Ginny looked at Harry questioningly and he nodded slightly. Ginny stood up and apparated to Tonks's flat, noting that Harry had been faster in the process.

"Harry what's wrong?" Ginny asked, leading him over to the couch to sit down. She didn't think she'd seen him so upset since before he defeated Voldemort. Seeing him look so vulnerable scared her. He refused to meet her eyes; he kept staring blankly at the wall in front of him. Ginny began to fear that he had changed his mind about wanting to be with her; that he had decided that her family was too much to deal with.

"Harry, please talk to me," Ginny pleaded.

"I lost control twice tonight," Harry whispered. He still refused to look at Ginny, and it sounded like he was speaking more to himself than her.

"You were provoked twice tonight," Ginny said, running her hand through his hair to try and calm him down.

"But I know better than to get angry; bad things happen when I get angry. I hurt people when I get angry!"

"But you didn't hurt anyone!" Ginny exclaimed. "You just made them fall down. They both deserved a lot more than that…"

"I burned Malfoy," Harry said.

"Malfoy's a git."

Harry chuckled slightly. "I shouldn't have hurt him."

"You didn't mean to."

"Exactly!" Ginny was starting to get frustrated with the circle Harry was talking in. She wanted to slap some sense into him, but her prior experiences with Harry told her she needed to let him get everything out.

"I could have hurt you," Harry said quietly.

Suddenly Ginny realized what the entire conversation was about. Harry was concerned that he would hurt her the next time he got angry at someone. She was touched that he cared that much, but she was determined not to let him push her away. She took his face in her hands so he was forced to look at her.

"How many times have you been angry with me?"

"A lot," Harry admitted.

"And have you ever hurt me?" Harry shook his head no. "And the one time you went to bed still very angry with me what happened?"

"I destroyed my bedroom," Harry replied.

"And the same night you did that you slept in my bed and didn't hurt me once," Ginny finished for him. "I don't think you could ever hurt me. Don't you remember that things are better when you're with me?"

"I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you."

"Good, because I'd probably kill you," Ginny teased. "I trust you Harry. I feel safe with you."

"Stay with me tonight. I don't want to know what would happen without you by my side to keep me calm."

Ginny didn't know if she could refuse him when he looked so desperate. She knew that staying with Harry would take a lot of lying and sneaking around, but she felt like it was something she had to do to prove to him she would always be there.

"I can't apparate to your flat," Ginny pointed out.

"We'll stay here, I know Tonks won't mind," Harry insisted.

"I'd have to go home first," Ginny said.

"So you'll do it?" When Harry's eyes sparked for the first time since his encounter with Ron, Ginny's mind was made up. She nodded her compliance. "I'll talk to Tonks while you go home," Harry said, standing up from the couch. "I'll meet you back here in a little while." Harry placed a kiss on Ginny's forehead and disapparated away.

Ginny apparated back to the Burrow, unsure of exactly what she was going to do. Her father was sitting up in the kitchen, sipping on a cup of tea and looking over an old photo album. Even though Ginny had felt much more sober since her and Harry's run in with Ron, finding herself face to face with her father made her wish she hadn't been drinking at all.

"Ginny, aren't you home a little early?" Arthur asked, looking up from his album.

"Actually, yes. There was a bit of a problem at the party… I was trying to go somewhere with Harry so we could talk, and we ran into Ron before we could safely make it out of the ballroom," Ginny admitted sheepishly.

Arthur's face paled. "Well I'm fairly certain that didn't go well."

"It honestly could have been a lot worse. But I left Ron with Charlie and Padma."

"Who?" Arthur interrupted.

Ginny shook her head. "Just a girl we went to school with, she's not important. But Harry was really upset so I went after him to make sure he was okay."

"How much does Ron know?" Arthur asked.

"Next to nothing. He said some really hurtful things, and Harry kind of lost it. The important thing is that no one was hurt, and that Ron doesn't know about Harry and me."

"You're going to have to tell him. It's more important now than ever."

Ginny shook her head. "It's just not the right time… not when Harry and I are both about to leave town."

Arthur looked like he was going to say something else when the back door opened and Charlie and Ron walked in. "Well, how was your evening?" he asked, trying to put on a cheerful expression.

Ron shot a look at Ginny that could kill. "Why were you with him?" he asked, ignoring his father's question.

"I already told you, it was purely business! It was just too loud to have a proper conversation in the ballroom. Honestly, it was the first time I had spoken to him the entire evening!" Ginny said, getting close to becoming hysterical. She didn't know what she would do if Ron didn't believe her.

"I wish he wasn't on the bloody team," Ron spat. "Actually, I wish I'd never even met him!"

"Don't say things you don't mean, son," Arthur said gently.

"I do mean it. He's made my life hell so many times, and I'm tired of it!" Ron turned his attention to Ginny. "I don't want you to see him anymore."

"Ron that's impossible! I work with him!"

Charlie put a comforting hand on Ron's shoulder. "Try to be reasonable, Ron. She can't just not see him."

"When the World Cup is over…" Ron glared at Ginny and stormed up the stairs to his bedroom.

Ginny looked at her father helplessly, on the verge of tears. She didn't know what she was going to do. She loved Harry, she knew she did, but she didn't think that anything could happen to make Ron see Harry as his friend again. She felt someone pull her into a hug, and realized her father had stood up from his place at the table.

"Why do I have a feeling there's a lot more going on here than I think?" Charlie asked.

"Because there always is," Arthur replied.

Ginny pulled away from her father's grasp and smiled at him tearfully. "I'm going to go to bed. I need my sleep before we hit the road on Sunday."

"Sweet dreams," Arthur called as Ginny made her way up the stairs.

"Good night," Charlie called.

Ginny felt slightly guilty for lying to her father and Charlie, but now she needed to be with Harry as much as he needed to be with her. Once she was in her bedroom she pulled out a small bag and threw in a nightgown and her other overnight things. She threw the bad over her shoulder and apparated back to Tonks's flat.

When she arrived, Tonks was sitting on the couch and there was no sign of Harry. "I'm sorry, I guess Harry decided just to go back home after all," Ginny said awkwardly.

Tonks smiled at her warmly. "He's in the guest bedroom. I told him I'd send you back when you arrived."

"Thanks." Ginny headed down the hall towards the guest bedroom. She smiled when she saw Harry lying on top of the bed, sleeping soundly. She shut the door quietly behind her and changed into her nightgown. She slipped into bed next to Harry and laid her head on his chest, his rhythmic breathing calming her nerves. Ginny was just about asleep when she felt Harry stir.

"Ginny?"

"Hmmm?" she replied sleepily.

"About what you said earlier… I trust you, too." Ginny drifted off to sleep that night with a smile on her face.

* * *

A/N Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It did not want to be written. Thanks as always for your reviews, I love getting feedback. We're getting closer to the end, but I've just finished writing chapter 21, and we're still not the the first World Cup match. I'd be willing to bet I'm going to hit at least 30 chapters, but that's just an estimate. I'll be posting again next Sunday!


	20. Looking for Acceptance

Ginny was struck by two things when she woke up the next morning. The first thing was that she wasn't sure where she was, and the second was that she felt like she had taken a bludger to the head. Ginny didn't remember playing in any Quidditch matches recently so she figured that couldn't be the source of her pain. She tried to sit up, but realized there was an arm draped over her body… In fact, there was a hand just barely touching her chest. She heard the body behind her let out a long moan. She knew exactly how it felt.

"When did I ram my head into the wall?" Harry asked, taking his arm from Ginny's body and moving it to his head.

Ginny winced. "About the same time you started yelling." The events of the night before came crashing back to Ginny and she couldn't help but groan. "Did what I think happened last night really happen?"

"If you think you had run-ins with Zacharias Smith, Dean Thomas, Draco Malfoy, and Ron, then yes."

Ginny couldn't believe how reckless they had been the night before. Everything else was trivial to the fact that she and Harry had been all over each other at a Ministry party. For all they knew, they would both be fired the next time they saw Mr. Perry. Worse yet, there could be an article in the Daily Prophet right then showing them snogging against the wall. The thought made her feel nauseous. She jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. She sat on the bathroom floor after being sick, praying that no one had witnessed her intense moment with Harry. She didn't think it would be fair for the most intimate moment she'd ever shared with Harry to be the cause for a public scene. Of course, it wouldn't be an issue if either one of them was able to handle their alcohol.

A few minutes later she reemerged, finding Harry sitting at the breakfast table with Tonks. She walked sheepishly into the kitchen and sat down next to Harry. "Has the Prophet come yet?"

"There's no mention of you and Harry," Tonks said, reading into her question. "Padma did question Harry's health, however."

"Padma!" Ginny exclaimed. "I didn't even think about her last night. She saw the fight between Harry and Ron."

"I guess we owe her a thank you, then, for not reporting it," Tonks said.

Ginny glanced at the clock on the wall and groaned. She had completely forgotten that she had snuck out of the house the night before. She was supposed to be home before anybody had woken up. She quickly stood up from the table.

"I have to go," she said, looking at Harry apologetically.

"Drink this potion first; it'll help with the hangover," Tonks said, handing her a mug similar to the one Harry was drinking from.

Ginny smiled at her gratefully. "Thanks." She quickly drank the foul tasting potion and ran back to the bedroom to grab her bag. She walked back into the sitting room to say good bye.

"I'll get a message to you when I finish at the Ministry," Harry said.

"Alright. Bye Tonks, thanks for everything!"

"No problem."

Ginny turned and looked at Harry. "I'll see you later?"

"If there's any way possible, yes."

"Bye, Harry," Ginny said. "Oh, and happy birthday!" Ginny apparated from Tonks's flat and back into her bedroom at the Burrow. She quickly got dressed and snuck down the hall to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She then headed downstairs, trying her hardest to pretend that she'd been in her bed all night long.

"Good morning, Dad," Ginny said, hoping she sounded cheerful.

"Morning, Ginny."

"Where's Ron?"

"Oh, he hasn't made it downstairs yet," Arthur replied coolly. "How's Harry?"

Ginny's face paled. She didn't know how, but her father knew she didn't spend the night at the Burrow. She was afraid of how he might react to the fact that his baby girl spent the night with her boyfriend. She debated between waiting for him to actually come out and question her and coming clean. Ginny decided that honesty was probably her best policy at this point.

"Dad I need to tell you something," she began slowly.

"Something that our clock didn't already tell me?" Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ginny sat down at the table and looked at him very seriously. "Yes."

"Oh," Arthur said softly.

"The thing is, I need Harry and Harry needs me. When I'm upset, just being near Harry seems to calm me down. He makes me feel better than I have since mum died. I kind of had a break down yesterday… I had been holding everything in for so long that when it finally came out I lost it. If Tonks hadn't found me when she did, I don't know what would have happened. She took me to Harry, and he was able to help me snap out of it. Of course, he did have to use some legilimency, but the point is that he helped me. I felt so cold and lost, and Harry made me feel warm and at home."

"I'm glad he was there for you," Arthur said slowly. "And I know you're an adult, but I'm not going to condone you sneaking out of my house to go sleep with your boyfriend. Even if I was okay with the sleeping together, I wouldn't approve of the sneaking around."

"Dad you don't understand at all!" Ginny exclaimed, embarrassed at her father's implications. After everything she had been through in the last twenty four hours Ginny was on the verge of losing control again. She took a deep breath to clam her nerves and tried to put how Harry made her feel into words for her father. "You know about Harry's night terrors, right?" Arthur nodded his head. "Well, the only reason I found out about them was because he fell asleep on the couch one night. We went up to my room so he could explain what had happened without peering ears. We ended up talking and we both fell asleep… To make a long story short, when I sleep in the same bed as Harry, he doesn't have the terrors. We both discovered that we sleep better together than apart. It isn't about sex… it's about finding peace within each other. He needed me last night, and to be honest, I needed him."

"I didn't realize," Arthur said softly. "I still don't approve of the sneaking around. I want you to be honest with me."

"Last night there wasn't time to be honest. Ron hurt me so badly; I just needed to get away," Ginny answered honestly. "I don't know what I'm going to do about him. It's obvious he and Hermione still care for one another, but Hermione's too stubborn to admit she was wrong and Ron's too hurt to approach her. Harry and I have worked on a plan to force them to speak, but I don't know if that's enough anymore."

"You shouldn't try to manipulate them," Arthur said.

"But they're not going to ever fix this on their own!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Maybe we just all have to accept that Ron and Hermione weren't meant to be together," Arthur said with a sigh. "Last night after you and Ron went upstairs, Charlie told me that Ron is supposed to meet Padma Patil for dinner tonight. She agreed not to report his fight with Harry if he would meet her. Charlie said she seemed to be a very nice girl… maybe this will be just what Ron needs to start moving on with his life."

"But that doesn't help me with getting Ron to understand that Harry didn't do anything wrong," Ginny said. The entire situation was becoming far too complicated. She would give anything to just lock Ron, Hermione, and Harry in a room together until they sorted everything out. Of course, she wasn't sure if all three of them would make it out of the room alive if she did that.

"Why don't you start with your other brothers first?" Arthur suggested. "Maybe Ron will be more understanding if he realizes that everyone else has made their peace with Harry."

"Charlie did seem to be accepting of him last night," Ginny commented. "And the twins would probably listen to me."

"So start there. Maybe being around Harry during the World Cup will show Ron that Harry's still the same guy he went to school with."

"I can hope," Ginny said. She was starting to become optimistic again. Maybe she could even convince Jeff to lobby Ron on the whole Harry issue. Ginny smiled at the thought of Ron and Harry laughing together like they used to. She allowed her mind to conjure up an image of Ron, Harry, Hermione, and herself sitting in the sun by the lake at the Burrow, just enjoying each other's company.

"You look like you're a million miles away."

Ginny smiled at her father. "I was thinking about how things used to be, before the war got so bad. You know I would actually pay to have Mum yell at me right now?"

"I would, too," Arthur replied.

Ginny heard a loud thumping coming down the stairs and turned to see Ron stumble into the kitchen looking like he had slept outside on the ground. "Good morning, Ron," she said stiffly.

"Uhuh," Ron mumbled in response.

"Would you like some breakfast?" Ginny asked sweetly. Ron nodded in reply, dropping his head on the kitchen table. Ginny smiled warmly at him and walked over so she was standing behind his chair. "Then get it your self!" she yelled into his ear.

"Hey!" Ron cried, holding his head in his hands. "What was that for? I've already got the biggest headache of my life."

"It's called a hangover, Ron," Ginny said firmly. "And I did that because you're an arse."

"What did I do?" Ron asked defensively, still holding his head.

"You were trying to control who I talk to!" Ginny exclaimed. "You said that Harry was seducing me! You punched a member of the English National Quidditch team at a party in the team's honor! Do you need me to go on?"

"No," Ron mumbled. "Just stop yelling. When did you start channeling Mum?"

Ginny's anger grew at Ron's comment, but it wasn't because she was insulted. She was angry that Ron still didn't seem to have any respect for their mum. "It was about time that somebody started to," she replied curtly before turning her back to Ron and walking out of the room.

Ginny walked past her bedroom and into the bathroom. She felt like she needed a shower before heading out of the house. Ginny determined that as soon as she was presentable she would make her way to the twin's shop in Diagon Alley. She was starting to not care if Ron ever came around. As long as she had Harry and the support of the rest of her family, Ron could take his stupid vendetta and shove it.

* * *

Ginny walked briskly down Diagon Alley, eyeing the numbers as she passed. Ninety, Ninety-one, Ninety-two, finally, number Ninety-three. She took a deep breath before pushing open the door to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. The store was mildly busy, but Ginny noted that Fred and George had apparently hired help. She caught a glimpse of red hair down an aisle stocking what looked like Canary Creams. Ginny couldn't help but smile as she thought that some of their first inventions were still some of the best.

"Ginny!" She'd been spotted.

"Hey, Fred," Ginny replied.

"George, stop stocking that shelf and get over here! We've got a visitor!"

George put down the box he was holding and made his way over to Ginny and Fred. Ginny was so glad when George had decided to get his ear pierced in Bill's memory. Not only was the fang hanging from his right ear a touching memorial, but it made distinguishing the identical twins easier.

"What brings you by?" George asked when he walked over.

"I wanted to talk to you two… in private," Ginny said nervously.

Fred and George seemed to exchange a mental conversation, and a few minutes later they led Ginny to the back room of the store. They each sat down in the chairs it looked like they used when they were inventing, and Ginny transfigured an empty box into a loveseat.

"So what's up?" Fred asked. "Nothing's wrong, right?"

Ginny smiled at them reassuringly. "No, nothing's wrong. First, I just wanted to make sure that you both received your tickets for the first round match."

"Yeah," Fred said happily. "We can't wait to go to Japan."

"Good. I hope you enjoy the top box. I had to argue with Mr. Perry that since Ron and I were both allowed to invite our families we should get the better tickets."

"What do you want?" George asked, sending Fred a look.

"It's not that we don't appreciate the tickets," Fred continued.

"But you obviously want us to do something," George finished.

Ginny wrung her hands in front of her nervously. "It's nothing really."

"Then spit it out."

"Well, all I want is for both of you to keep an open mind where Harry is concerned." Immediately both Fred and George's faces darkened. Ginny's stomach fell; she hadn't thought that convincing the twins would be that hard.

"Why?"

"Because I've spent a lot of time with him, and I don't think he's guilty of all the crimes we've held against him," Ginny said firmly. She was determined to stand her ground, no matter what the twins might throw at her.

"So, Ron's forgiven him then?"

Ginny shook her head. "Ron's an idiot."

"She has a point, Fred."

"But Ron is our brother."

"The entire team likes Harry. MJ thinks he's great, you both like MJ… Tank thinks of him like a son, and I know you both respect Tank."

"Brilliant keeper."

"Good man."

"Even Ron's friend Jeff seems to like Harry. Ron just won't give Harry or Hermione the time of day to defend themselves," Ginny concluded. "Ron's not completely innocent in all of this either. He's said and done some really hurtful things to Harry and to me."

"I think we've just discovered what this all about, George."

"Does little Gin Gin still have a crush on Harry?"

Ginny shook her head, fighting not to blush. "I love him," she said quietly. "I think I always have." Ginny expected Fred and George to start teasing her mercilessly. She never thought that they would both look at her with understanding and compassion.

"Seeing as how you're here,"

"Does that mean that Harry reciprocates your feelings?"

Ginny nodded slowly. "He was never with Hermione… It was all one big misunderstanding that got out of control. Ron never believed Harry when he tried to tell him it wasn't true."

"So what's Hermione's problem, then?"

"I can't tell you," Ginny replied honestly. "I only found out by accident. But I can promise you that it has nothing to do with Harry."

Fred and George seemed to be having another silent conversation. The longer they went without responding, the more worried Ginny became. If she couldn't convince the twins, she'd never be able to get Ron to accept her relationship with Harry. Ginny was starting to think that she and Harry should just leave the county and live the rest of their lives in secluded peace.

"We'll give him a chance," Fred said finally.

"But the first pratish thing he does we're out again,' George added.

Ginny jumped up from her seat and captured both of them in a hug. "Thank you! One more thing though, you can't tell anyone about my relationship with Harry yet. Technically it's against the rules for us to be together while he's on the team and I'm managing it. That's why I haven't told you before now. Well, that and the whole Ron factor."

"You want us to keep a secret?"

"Are you mad?"

"Please?" Ginny begged. "It would mean my job! It's just until the World Cup is over, and honestly that could be Monday if they don't win their match in Japan."

"Japan's looking good this year," Fred commented.

"Especially that chaser with the long, silky hair and the big…"

"George!" Ginny exclaimed, cutting him off. "I don't want to hear about the Japanese team's chaser's assets!"

"And what assets they are," Fred said with a grin.

"Enough! Will you two keep my secret or not?"

"Of course," George said, his expression turning serious. "You're our only sister and we want the best for you."

"But Ron is our little brother as well… You're going to have to tell him about this eventually."

"I know," Ginny said, trying to hide her surprise at the twin's moment of sincerity. "I'm just trying to wait until the right time."

"Well, just make sure the right time isn't that far off."

"If you really love him, you're not going to want to hide it."

"I know," Ginny repeated. "Thanks you guys."

"Anytime."

"Well, I guess I'll see you Monday at the match," Ginny said, feeling like a bit of her stress had finally been relieved.

* * *

Ginny arrived back at the Burrow after eating lunch at the Leaky Cauldron. She was surprised to see that both her father and Ron were at work on a Saturday. She headed up stairs to her bedroom and considered taking a nap while she waited for Harry to finish his testing at the Ministry. It was only when she reached her room that she remembered what she was in the process of doing when she had broken down. She walked over to her dresser and pulled a small wrapped package from her top drawer. She gently pulled off the paper to reveal a gold pocket watch. She opened the cover and smiled at the picture of her mother looking at her with elegance and grace. All she needed was the picture of Harry's mother to put beside Molly so Harry would have a reminder that both of his mums were always looking out for him. Ginny just had to get the copy of the picture from Tonks.

Ginny was curious as to what Lily Potter looked like. In all her time of knowing Harry, she had never seen a picture of his parents. She had heard it said many times that Harry looked like his father but with his mother's eyes. She could imagine how pretty Lily must have been if she had the same magnificent eyes as Harry.

Even though Ginny was fairly certain that Tonks would be at the Ministry with Harry, she decided to apparate over to her flat again to see if she could find the picture sitting out anywhere. She apparated to Tonks's flat and arrived in the living room. She was surprised when she heard the shower running. Ginny decided to make herself at home on the couch until Tonks decided to make her appearance.

A few minutes later Ginny heard the water stop running and thought it would be best to try and warn Tonks of her presence. She walked outside the bathroom door and knocked gently. "Tonks?" The door opened and a head poked out. Ginny had to keep herself from falling over in shock. "Charlie?"

"Hey, Ginny," Charlie said awkwardly.

"Tonks isn't in there with you, is she?" Ginny asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

"No!" Charlie exclaimed. "Tonks is at the Ministry with Harry, but she did tell me that you might be stopping by."

"Well, I'll just let you get dressed and then we can talk," Ginny said. She walked back out into the sitting room and resumed her position on the couch. She closed her eyes to try and get the image of Charlie and Tonks in the shower together out of her mind. She smiled when she was able to replace it with the memory of sleeping cuddled up with Harry. She felt her skin flush when she imagined her innocent night with Harry shifting into something not nearly as innocent.

"I have a hunch I know why you're here." Ginny jumped when she heard Charlie's voice. She had been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't even heard him enter the room. She was grateful that Charlie couldn't read her thoughts; otherwise she would have been highly embarrassed.

"I'm here because I need to get a picture from Tonks," Ginny explained. Charlie nodded to her and walked back to the bedroom, reemerging with an envelope.

"Tonks said that what you needed was in here," he said as he handed her the envelope.

"Thanks."

Charlie sat down on the couch beside Ginny and his expression turned very serious. "You know, I had a very interesting conversation with Harry this morning."

"Oh, really?" Ginny squeaked. She didn't like the tone of Charlie's voice, and was afraid she'd find out that Harry was currently recovering from his "conversation" with Charlie in the permanent ward at St. Mungo's.

"He was quite mortified when I found him here this morning. Seems he was afraid that I'd get the wrong idea about what you were doing here last night." Ginny's face paled. She made a mental note to herself that she and Harry were very bad at the whole sneaking around thing. She decided to let Charlie get everything out before she started speaking; she wasn't going to show her hand until she knew what he knew.

"I knew last night that there was something going on with you and Harry, but I didn't realize how serious you both were. When I was finally able to convince Harry that I wasn't going to hex him, he was actually quite forthcoming about your relationship. He told me about how you help him; about how you put him at ease so he can sleep at night," Charlie continued. "Now, I didn't know why he was having problems sleeping at night, but Tonks assured me that it was an issue."

"It's a Ministry thing," Ginny explained.

"So I've been told." Ginny could tell that the Ministry was obviously as big of an issue for Charlie and Tonks as it was for Harry and herself. She would have to have a complaining session with Charlie when everything was out in the open. "But the point is, it's obvious that Harry cares a great deal for you."

"I care a lot about him as well," Ginny admitted quietly.

"And you have no regard for the affect this is going to have on Ron?" Charlie asked.

Ginny winced at the harsh connotation of Charlie's words. To her, what she felt for Harry had nothing to do with her love for Ron. Ron was her brother; for awhile, Ron had been her best friend. Ironically, it was Harry who replaced her in that role. She didn't want to hurt Ron, but she knew that there was no way she could ever give up what she had with Harry.

"He'll come around," Ginny said, sounding much more confident than she felt. "He has to," she added, more for herself than for Charlie. "Does this mean you're not going to stand in our way?"

Charlie let out a long sigh. "I'm not going to say I approve, especially of this sleeping together…"

"It's purely innocent!" Ginny exclaimed, tired of having to explain her actions to her family. She was beginning to wish that she hadn't decided to go with her plan of honesty.

"Irregardless of that, I can't stand by and watch you sneak around behind Ron's back. No matter how I feel about Harry, and I don't hate him, Ron is my brother and I won't give my support to anything that would hurt him."

Ginny felt like crying. Hermione's stupid decision was going to haunt her until the day she died. She had to make sure that Ron found out the truth about why Hermione dumped him; she had to make sure that he found out that Harry was innocent. Ginny was starting to realize that even when the truth came out, there were too many hurt feelings and bruised egos for things to just bounce back to the way they used to be. But before Ginny could focus on the healing process, she had to get everything out in the open.

It was only then that Ginny realized she still didn't know everything; Harry still had secrets from her. Granted, he wasn't legally able to tell her, but too many secrets could doom their relationship before it ever even really got started.

"Ginny?" Charlie asked hesitantly.

Ginny forced a smile. "I can't be with Harry right now, no matter how much I want to be. I'm going to tell Ron… Really, I am. I'm actually planning on telling him before the World Cup is over, so I can be with Harry the first second I can without losing my job. I just hope that once Ron knows the truth we'll have your support."

"I think that might be arranged. Tonks is very important to me, and Harry is very important to Tonks. I have no problem with wiping the slate clean… My problem is with the lying to Ron," Charlie said.

Ginny picked up the envelope Charlie had given her and stood up from the couch. "Well, I guess I'll see you at the match on Monday," she said cordially.

"Good luck with everything," Charlie said earnestly.

"Thanks. Bye, Charlie." Ginny apparated back to her bedroom at the Burrow. To distract herself from her Ron problems, Ginny decided to finish Harry's birthday present. She opened up the envelope that Tonks had left for her and pulled out the photograph. She was faced with the back where 'Lily on the day James proposed' was transcribed. She was giddy with excitement to have such a precious picture to give to Harry.

Ginny turned the picture over and her first reaction was to drop the photograph like it was on fire. She tried not to panic as she hesitantly picked it up off the ground, almost afraid of confirming her suspicions. Confirmation was what she received, however. Ginny knew the woman in the picture; she knew Harry's mother.

Her first thought was that it wasn't possible; Harry's parents died right after she was born, and they were in hiding at the time. There was no way she could have met them in person, unless they weren't actually dead. Ginny quickly forced that thought out of her mind; it wasn't possible.

"_She had red hair like she could be a part of my family,"_ Ginny thought. _"There's no way I'm related to Lily Potter!"_ Realization suddenly dawned on Ginny. She wasn't related to Lily Potter, but Lily Potter had once told her she was destined to be. Harry's mum was the one who visited her when she had been unconscious and on the verge of death in the Chamber of Secrets. Harry's mum had been the one telling her that she was meant to be with Harry.

The realization was too much for Ginny to process at once. She sat down on her bed, gaping at the picture. What did it mean; Harry's mum convincing her to live when she was on the brink of giving up on life?

Ginny only knew one thing; she definitely wasn't going to give up on Harry now. She felt more than ever that she was meant to be with Harry, that he was the one love of her life. She was more determined than ever to fix things between Ron and Harry.

The question for Ginny now, though, was whether or not to tell Harry. Hadn't she just been thinking earlier in the day that secrets could ruin their relationship? But was Harry really ready to hear that his dead mum had visited Ginny when she was eleven and told her that they were meant to be together? Then again, Harry had seen her mum when he had been having his brush with death; maybe he would understand that she had seen his mum. Or, maybe he would be jealous that Ginny got to talk to her and he didn't.

Ginny groaned and fell backwards onto her bed. Why did everything always have to be so complicated? She made a decision to not think about the fact that she had held a conversation with Harry's mum for the time being. When her life was a little less stressful, she would talk to Harry about it. Ginny picked up the picture and fitted it in the pocket watch next to the picture of her mum. The two women in the pictures smiled at each other, as if they were old friends. Ginny closed the cover to the watch and stared at the engraving on the outside: HJP. She hoped he would like it. More than almost anything, Ginny just wanted to see Harry happy.

She searched her closet for something to wrap Harry's present in. She found an old decorative bag that she had received a present in once and wrapped the pocket watch in tissue paper before setting it in the bag. Then Ginny was faced with the monumental task of writing Harry a card. She sat down at her desk and pulled out a blank piece of parchment and a bottle of green ink. She picked up her quill and began to think of what she wanted to say to Harry.

_Happy Birthday Harry!_

_I wanted to do something special for your birthday, especially since I missed it last year. I racked my brain trying to think of something that would be meaningful for you, and this was the best I could come up with._

_I wish that you had gotten the chance to know your mum the way I knew mine. I know my mum considered you a son and that she loved you dearly. I hate that she was taken away from both of us so soon. I know that if she were still alive so many of our problems wouldn't exist. I know in my heart of hearts that we have the blessing of both our mums to be together. Now, they can both watch over you._

_I made the mistake of not believing in you once and I will never do it again. You've been my friend, my confidant, and my hero, but you are so much more than all of that to me. I don't want to let anything or anyone come between us again. We have a long road ahead, but I'm sure we can take on anything together._

_Happy 19th_

_With love,_

_Ginny_

Ginny carefully folded the note in half and placed it with the page that contained Harry's gift. Now all she had to do was wait until she heard from Harry.

* * *

A/N Well, this week is a perfect example of why I have chapters written that I haven't posted. Real life can get in the way and keep me from writing, and having my cushion makes sure that you all don't go a week without a chapter at all.

Now the big news… There is a sequel in the works for this story. I have the general plot already outlined, but I may be taking some time off between this story and the next to make sure I do everything the right way. I will tell you that the next story will involved a lot of research on my part.

As always, thanks for your reviews. You have no idea how much they mean to me, especially when I'm having a rough week like this one. The next chapter should be out next Sunday!


	21. Being Delayed

Ginny was curled up on the sofa, reading an old romance novel of her mother's she had found. She was trying to pass the time until she heard from Harry, or at least until Ron or her father arrived back at the Burrow so she wouldn't feel quite so bored. Ginny was beginning to think that being alone was a curse to her well-being. She didn't like the paths her mind began to wander down recently when she was left alone with her thoughts. So, she was currently losing herself in the world of Rosalyn the healer and her long lost love, Damien.

Just as Rosalyn was about to see Damien for the first time in five years, Ginny heard the familiar sound of her father apparating. She marked her place in the book and set it down before walking into the kitchen. Her father was hanging his cloak on the rack by the door, mumbling about something under his breath.

"Long day?" Ginny asked smiling.

"It was very… trying…" Arthur said, looking like he was about to collapse.

Ginny looked at her father, unsure of what would call him into the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts on a weekend that would be so trying. She assumed it was some sort of raid or something. Regardless, he looked like he was about to pass out standing up. Ginny actually thought that he looked a little pale.

"Dad, what have you been doing all day? You don't normally work on Saturdays, do you? I mean, no offense, but you look terrible," Ginny said, concerned about her father's well-being.

"Ginny, sit down with me," Arthur said, motioning to the kitchen table. Ginny hesitantly walked over to the table and sat down, wondering what kind of bomb was about to be dropped now. From the look on her father's face, it couldn't be anything good.

"Dad, if you have bad news please just get it all out now," Ginny said. She didn't want to prolong whatever it was her father was going to tell her.

Arthur smiled at her gently. "I'm sorry; there isn't any bad news. I just had to participate in something today that I probably shouldn't have been a part of."

"Where were you today?" Ginny asked, suddenly not believing her raid theory.

"I was with Harry at the Ministry. There are so few people that know about his case, that when something happens we're all involved."

"Is something wrong with Harry?" Ginny asked urgently.

Arthur shook his head. "He's better than ever, thanks to you. I'm just glad that you gave me some warning about your recent, um, sleeping arrangements. It would have made the situation today even more awkward." Ginny felt her cheeks flush. She couldn't believe that her father had apparently been a part of a conversation about her relationship with Harry and the affects she had on him. Arthur looked at her as if he were realizing she was not his little girl anymore for the first time before speaking again. "Ginny dear, no father should ever have to sit in a meeting where his daughter's potential intimacy with her boyfriend is being discussed." Ginny's eyes grew wide and she wanted to hide under the table. That was what they were discussing with Harry at the Ministry today?

"Oh, Dad, I'm so sorry."

Arthur chuckled. "You don't look nearly as bad as poor Harry did today."

"Oh, I bet he was mortified to be sharing all of this personal stuff," Ginny replied. She looked at her father and tried to build up her nerve. "So, what was the consensus?"

"Not to disturb anything that was working," Arthur said. "Minister Bones has decided that it is in everyone's best interests if you continue to, err, stay with Harry. She doesn't want you to flaunt your relationship, but if Mr. Perry finds out, she'll take care of it."

"Oh that's wonderful," Ginny gushed.

"Well, I'm sure you'll think this next little bit is even more wonderful. Minister Bones has arranged for you to be able to spend all of your nights with Harry, only if that's what you want of course," Arthur said. Ginny couldn't help but notice that her father looked more than a little put out by his news. She reached out and covered his hand with her own on over the table.

"Dad, as much as I care about Harry, I'm not going to do anything that you're not comfortable with," Ginny said, regretfully meaning every word. "I won't be okay with being with Harry if I know that you don't approve."

"I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea of you sharing a bed with Harry every night, but I know what the benefits are for Harry. What's more important to me, however, is that I've seen firsthand how much happier you've been lately. So I'm willing to accept this for what it is. Besides, you are an adult now."

Ginny couldn't help but grin. "You don't know how happy it makes me to hear you say that. I did tell you before that my sleeping with Harry is purely innocent… we're not ready to take that step in our relationship and I'm not sure we will be for a long time." An obvious look of relief crossed over Arthur's face and Ginny felt bad for continuing her speech. "But one day we will be, and whether it's when we're married or engaged or just good friends, you're going to have to accept that we're adults and it's our decision to make."

"I can accept that," Arthur replied, obviously not completely at ease with what he was saying. "As much as I'm enjoying our honesty, don't feel completely obligated to inform me if and when you do reach that point in your relationship."

"Understood," Ginny said, feeling much better.

"Its times like these I really wish your mother were here. She'd be much better at handling this kind of thing," Arthur said wistfully. Ginny couldn't help but agree. Somehow, the idea of talking to her mother about her potential sex life instead of her father seemed to be much less awkward.

"So, how am I supposed to be getting to Harry? Did they change the wards at his flat?" Ginny asked.

"Actually they did, but that's not how you're going to get there," Arthur said. Ginny was thoroughly confused when Arthur handed her a small box. She took off the lid and saw a silver bracelet. She picked it up and examined it. It was exquisite; it had a band about an inch think, words engraved in a language Ginny didn't recognize, and there was a rose engraved in the middle of the writing.

"It's beautiful."

"It's a reusable portkey," Arthur explained. "It'll be activated when you put your thumb over the rose for five seconds, so be careful when you wear it. It's designed to recognize your thumbprint."

"So this will take me to Harry's flat?" Ginny asked, clasping the bracelet on her wrist.

"This will take you to Harry, actually. He's got a ring that the bracelet will take you within five feet of. So he'll have to be careful of where he's standing when he knows you're coming."

"So the ring and bracelet can track each other?"

"Basically, yes. His ring has the same capacities as your bracelet as well, so he could just pop in at any time."

"I think the odds of him doing that are doubtful as long as I'm at the Burrow," Ginny said with a chuckle. "Did Harry have any message for me or anything?" she asked hopefully.

"Actually, he suggested that I tell you to test out the bracelet tonight," Arthur said with a wink. "I'm just going to go out to the garage and work with my new fellyvision. I'll see you tomorrow morning before you leave."

Ginny stood up and kissed her father on the cheek. "Good night, Dad." She walked up the stairs to her bedroom, and pulled out the bag she'd used the night before. She gathered her things and threw the bag over her shoulder. She turned over the bracelet so the rose was facing her. She placed her thumb over the rose and five seconds later she felt a familiar tug at her naval.

She arrived in Harry's kitchen to find his back to her. He was standing over the stove, muttering to himself. He seemed to be so absorbed in what he was doing he didn't even notice Ginny's presence in the room.

Ginny walked over to him and slipped her arms around his waist, causing him to jump. "Smells heavenly," she said.

Harry turned around in her grasp and smiled at her. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

"Confident that I would?" Ginny asked teasingly. Harry replied by placing a light kiss on her lips. "Okay, so I would have done anything to get here," she admitted with a chuckle. "Now, what are you doing in here?"

"Fixing you dinner," Harry replied, turning his attention back to the stove.

"Shouldn't I be cooking for you? It is your birthday," Ginny pointed out.

"I wanted to do this," Harry said with a shrug.

"Well, is there at least anything I can do to help?"

Harry shook his head. "Just sit down and make yourself comfortable. Hermione's out for the night, so it's just us here."

"What are you fixing?"

"Roast beef and roasted potatoes."

"I wasn't aware you could cook," Ginny commented while she watched Harry make his way expertly around the kitchen. "I seem to remember you talking about never eating properly."

"Yes, but that was lack of motivation, not lack of skill," Harry said. "Would you like a glass of wine or something?"

Ginny shook her head. The mere memory of her hangover was enough to make her not want to drink again any time soon. "I'll pass."

"Yeah, me too." Ginny couldn't help but notice Harry seemed to wince at the thought of alcohol. It amused her to think that he had been as miserable as she had.

While Harry finished the dinner preparations, Ginny told him about her visits with her brothers and the progress she had made at possibly reuniting him with her family. Harry seemed to perk up at the news, but he couldn't resist pointing out that everything still relied on getting Ron to accept him. By the time Ginny had finished telling Harry about her day, he was done cooking.

Harry brought two plates over to the table, both filled with roast beef and potatoes. Ginny thanked him as he set the plate down in front of her. The food looked delicious and smelled fantastic. As they started to eat Ginny was reminded of something that had occurred the night before at the party.

"Harry, did you happen to see who Malfoy was talking to before I ran into him?"

"Actually, I was trying to keep one eye on him and one eye on you for most of the night," Harry admitted. "I was actually talking to Dustin about it when you first ran into Draco… otherwise I would have been there to help you sooner."

"Well, what'd Dustin say? Why was he with Malfoy?" Ginny asked urgently.

Harry took a bite of his beef and finished chewing before replying. "He said that his family was good friends with the Malfoys. He used to watch Draco while their parents would have business meetings. Apparently, he didn't know what a smarmy git he turned into."

"I can believe that. Although it'd be hard not to see it coming with the Malfoy's," Ginny said bitterly. She would never forgive Lucius for all of the trouble he caused in her life. Actually, trouble was a very mild description for what he inflicted on her.

"Well, you have to keep in mind that Dustin wasn't brought up the same way you were. He was raised with the 'pure blood' mentality, even if he did outgrow it eventually," Harry pointed out.

"What about Jeff, then?" Ginny asked.

"Grew up in France," Harry said before stuffing a forkful of potatoes in his mouth. "Doesn't have a clue who Malfoy is."

"I guess I can believe all that," Ginny said, rolling her eyes at Harry's stuffed mouth. "I just think we should be extra careful around Dustin. I want to trust him… I want to trust everyone on the team for that matter, but right now we can't be too careful. Who knows what Malfoy would try to pull."

Ginny pushed the remained food around on her plate while she waited for Harry to finish eating. She tried not to dwell on her run-in with Malfoy; she didn't want to let it ruin her evening. But something in the back of her mind kept telling her she needed to be on the look out for him to try and force his way back into their lives. And having Malfoy in your life was definitely not a good thing.

"All done?" Harry asked, snapping Ginny from her thoughts.

"Yes, it was wonderful. You really didn't have to cook for me tonight," she said.

Harry stood up from the table and brought both of their dishes over to the sink. "I wanted to," he replied before setting the cleaning charm on the dishes. "Shall we move this into the other room?" Harry asked, extending his arm to Ginny. Ginny nodded, standing up to take his arm. Harry led her into the sitting room and they sat down on the sofa.

They sat in awkward silence for a moment, both seeming to be afraid to make a move. Ginny remembered the intensity she had felt for Harry the night before, and it honestly scared her. She didn't want to rush things with Harry, as much as she wanted to be with him. But when she looked into his right green eyes, so filled with hope, admiration, and a little lust, she knew she wouldn't be able to resist him.

The tension in the room seemed to snap as Harry and Ginny met on the couch in a smoldering kiss. Ginny clasped her hands behind Harry's neck, trying to hang on for dear life. She could feel herself getting lost in Harry: in his kiss, in his touch. Somewhere in the back on Ginny's mind she heard a small voice telling her they needed to slow things down, but that voice was easily ignored. The second voice that appeared in her head, however, was unavoidable.

"_Ginny dear, no father should ever have to sit in a meeting where his daughter's potential intimacy with her boyfriend is being discussed."_ As soon as her father's voice crossed her mind Ginny pulled away from Harry as if her father was actually in the room. Harry looked at her curiously, but Ginny could only think of her own words to her father. They weren't ready for a step like this in their relationship; they probably wouldn't be for a long time.

"Too fast," Ginny said as she tried to catch her breath. It appeared to Ginny that the reality of their situation hadn't dawned on Harry until that very moment. A blush covered his skin and he looked like a small child that was about to be reprimanded.

"I'm so sorry," Harry said quickly.

"Oh Harry! You didn't do anything wrong! We both just tend to get a little carried away around each other," Ginny assured him. "I would say it's perfectly natural, but this is honestly one of the most intense things I've ever felt."

"I know what you mean," Harry replied, the pink tint fading from his skin.

"It's not that I don't want to experience this kind of thing with you, I just think we're moving a little too fast," Ginny explained.

"And we're not quite ready for this kind of thing yet," Harry finished for her. "I mean, we've barely been on speaking terms for a month, and you just told most of your family about us today. I think we should maybe try to take things slower until we've at least been able to take our relationship public."

Ginny let out a sigh of relief. She was worried that she was going to hurt Harry's feelings, but apparently they were on the same page. "I agree completely."

"Not that it isn't going to be hard," Harry commented, grinning at her. "Especially since the Ministry has officially recommended that we share a bed as much as possible."

"Well, we'll just have to consider our time in bed as an official ministry function instead of 'us' time," Ginny said laughing.

"I wonder if they'll make us write reports about it," Harry added, joining in her laughter.

"Merlin, it must have been horrible for you today, having to go through all of that questioning. My poor dad looked like he never wanted to leave the house again!"

"It was more than a little embarrassing," Harry admitted. "But it was worth it because it gave us a way to be together."

"I just can't wait for the day when I don't have to sneak around to be with you." Harry's expression softened and he brushed a stray lock of Ginny's hair behind her ear. Ginny shivered under his touch, remembering the intensity that had been behind it only minutes ago. He left his hand on her face, and Ginny tilted her head so it was leaning into it.

"I'm counting down the days, Gin," he said softly. "Sometimes I want to throw the match against Japan so it will all be over."

"You can't do that," Ginny replied, her voice barely a whisper. "We have to be strong… people are depending on us."

Harry removed his hand from Ginny's face and sighed. "I know."

Ginny tried to smile brightly. She hated that she was bringing down the mood on Harry's birthday. "Well. I haven't given you your birthday present yet." She stood up from the couch and walked into the kitchen where she had dropped her bag on the floor. She returned holding the bag that contained Harry's present. "I hope you like it," she said shyly.

Harry opened the card and read it slowly. "Gin," he started to say but Ginny cut him off.

"Just open the present," she said, shaking her head. Ginny was a little embarrassed at how she had seemed to spill her heart on in her note, and wasn't quite ready to verbalize all of the things she had written.

By then Harry had pulled the present out of the bag and was on the last sheet of tissue paper covering it. Ginny waited anxiously, hoping that she had picked out something he would like, and praying that she hadn't crossed any lines by including Harry's mum.

Finally, the pocket watch was revealed. Harry held it in front of him by the chain, watching it twirl back and forth in the air. In seemed to in trance him, and Ginny was starting to get worried that he hated it.

"Open it," she said quietly. Harry took the watch in his hand that wasn't holding the chain and slowly opened the cover. He didn't seem to notice the pictures at first, but it was obvious the moment he did. Ginny saw his eyes turn glassy behind his glasses, and she worried even more that he was upset. She felt the sudden need to explain her actions before Harry got too upset with her.

"I wanted your mums to be able to watch over you… I wanted to give you the sense that they were always with you," Ginny said quietly. Harry finally looked at Ginny, and she was relieved to see that his eyes were filled with gratitude instead of anger.

Harry reached out, took her hand, and brought it up to his mouth so he could kiss it. "Thank you," he whispered. "This really means a lot to me." He paused and took a deep breath. "I've never really thanked you for sharing your mum with me. There were so many of you already, and I just took away more of your time with her. It's really only because of me that she died."

"Don't ever say that again!" Ginny exclaimed. She took a moment to collect her thoughts before continuing. Harry's comments upset her greatly, but the last thing she wanted to do was lash out at him. "Harry," she began slowly, "my mum chose to love you like one of her own. It wasn't my decision to make, but I would have happily shared my mum with you if it was. It's not like she only had so much love she could give; she had an endless supply of it in that huge heart of hers. And if you ever say her death was your fault again I will walk out that door and never come back. She made her own choices, and she would have given her life for any of us."

Harry looked at Ginny, seemingly ashamed of his words. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, just stop thinking like that," Ginny said. "You have nothing to feel guilty about."

"But Bill-"

"Bill was a grown man," Ginny interrupted, tears filling her eyes. "His death allowed you to take down Voldemort. If he was still here, you might not be. If he was still here, Voldemort may still be here as well."

Harry reached over and brushed the tears from Ginny's face. "I'm sorry to bring you down like this. I know this is the last thing you need right now."

Ginny shook her head. "I think it's good for me to talk about this. I can't just hold all of this in anymore. I think I proved that yesterday." Harry moved over on the couch so he could put his arm around her. Ginny dropped her head onto his shoulder and got comfortable.

Harry leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Thank you for my birthday present. It's perfect."

"You're welcome."

"This has been a very long day," Harry commented.

"Yes it has." Ginny agreed, suddenly feeling very sleepy. She could feel her eyes begin to close, and she wished that she could always feel this safe and secure. As she began to drift off to sleep, Ginny pictured herself laying with Harry on a deserted beach somewhere, just enjoying each others company while they basked in the sun.

* * *

The next morning Ginny woke up feeling more than a little stiff. She realized that they had fallen asleep on the couch and had never woken up. She gently moved from out of Harry's grasp and made her way to the bathroom.

A quick look in the mirror told her that she was a mess. Her hair was tangled and knotted, and the little bit of makeup she had worn the night before now left dark circles under her eyes. Her clothes were wrinkled and obviously showed that they had been slept in. Ginny looked down at her watched and realized that they were scheduled to leave from the Ministry in two hours.

Ginny hurried back into the sitting room and gently tired to wake Harry up. "Harry, you have to get up. We're leaving the country in about two hours… we can't be late." Harry mumbled something in his sleep and tried to get more comfortable. "Harry," Ginny said, much more insistently this time. "Wake up." When Harry didn't respond again Ginny pulled out her wand and whispered an incantation. Harry jumped off the couch as he was covered in ice cold water.

"What'd you do that for?" Harry asked, his teeth chattering.

"Because you wouldn't get up and I have to go," Ginny explained calmly. "We're due at the Ministry in two hours and I have to make sure that I'm all packed. Plus, I have to get back home before Ron realizes I'm missing."

"Oh yeah, I guess I do have to pack," Harry commented offhandedly.

"You haven't even packed yet?" Ginny screeched.

Harry shrugged. "Not like it'll take me all that long."

"Well you better not be late," Ginny warned as she picked up her bag from where she had left if the night before and threw it over her shoulder. "I'll see you in a bit." She leaned over and placed a small kiss on Harry's cheek.

"Is that all I get?" Harry asked cheekily.

"As long as you're that wet, yes," Ginny replied laughing. "So I can apparate in and out of here now?"

"Yup," Harry answered. "Someone came home with me from the Ministry this afternoon and changed the wards. The bracelet is just so you will come directly to me, and for when we're traveling with the team."

"Okay, so I'll see you later," Ginny repeated. "Bye, Harry."

"Bye Gin."

* * *

An hour and a half later, Ginny was sitting at her desk in the Ministry, trying to make sure all of the last minute details were taken care of. The team was supposed to take a portkey to Wajima, and then they were going to take a boat out to the island. They would stay on the boat before the match, and then if they won they would get a brief vacation by sailing back, at magical speeds, to England. If they lost, however, they were to portkey back.

Ginny couldn't wait to see the boat itself. It was supposed to be like a hotel on water, but it should move like the Knight Bus. Well, hopefully it would be a bit smoother ride than the Knight Bus, but it was supposed to rival it for speed. Ginny thought it would be thrilling to get to ride on the ocean for several days. She would be thoroughly disappointed if the team lost and she missed out on her chance.

"Good afternoon, Ginny."

Ginny looked up from her work to see her boss standing in her office. She couldn't help but notice that he looked more than a little stressed. All of the planning involved in the World Cup must have finally caught up with him. "Good afternoon, Mr. Perry. All ready to head to Japan?"

"Actually, that's why I'm here," Mr. Perry said cautiously. "I'm afraid you won't be traveling with us today."

Ginny's jaw dropped. "What? Why?" Instead of replying Mr. Perry pulled what looked like a magazine and dropped it on her desk. Ginny was looking at a picture of Harry from the Ministry party, talking closely with Hermione. If Ginny hadn't been there that night herself, the picture on the cover would have made her think that it had been Hermione Harry wanted to sneak away with. Ginny fought to keep her emotions in check while Mr. Perry was still in her office. She couldn't let her jealousy show.

"So what does a picture of Harry on the cover of Witch Weekly have to do with me going to Japan?" she asked meekly.

"The article was very slanderous towards Harry. It talked about his history jumping around from witch to witch, just spending enough time with each one to get into their beds. They even went as far as saying he's got several illegitimate children! Then it goes on to say that he actually wasn't qualified to make the team, and anonymous team members have stated that he hasn't been performing well in practice."

"That can't be true!" Ginny exclaimed. "Who wrote that article?"

"I don't know, the name is Valerie Valkyrie. I think it's a pen name because I've never heard of her. The article later mentioned that Harry has lost touch with his best friend from Hogwarts, and eye witnesses reported that they got into a big fight at the party."

"Oh, that's not good," Ginny said with a groan.

"I need you to spend today trying to track this person down so we can put a stop to any future articles," Mr. Perry explained. "We've already doubled the security over the team while they're in Japan, which was not an easy task. Did you know that there is actually an extreme shortage in Aurors right now? They've cut down the training program and are giving them all more 'in field' experience."

"So how am I supposed to track this person down?" Ginny asked, accepting her fate. It sounded like an impossible task if she'd ever heard one. There was no way Witch Weekly was going to give up a reporter that could come up with that kind of scoop, true or not.

"I don't know," Mr. Perry admitted. "But we've got to do something. If you can't figure anything out you'll just head to Japan tonight. Minister Bones has assured me she'll find a way for you to meet up with the team. She's the one who wanted me to take care of this so quickly."

"I understand," Ginny said. "I guess I should get out of the office and try and track down Miss Valkyrie. Tell the team I'll be joining them as soon as I can."

"I will, and thank you for doing this," Mr. Perry said. "Oh, and we're trying to keep this article's existence away from Harry until after the match. The last thing we need is for him to be worrying over something silly like this."

"He needs to know," Ginny insisted.

"He will, just not until after the match on Monday," Mr. Perry assured her.

"Well, then I guess I better get going," Ginny said. "Bye, Mr. Perry."

"Bye, Ginny. I'll see you in Japan."

* * *

Frustrated wasn't nearly a powerful enough word to describe the way Ginny was feeling. She had been on a wild goose chase all afternoon trying to track down the mysterious author of the article about Harry. The people at the Witch Weekly office refused to tell her anything other than that the article was sent in my mail, and that they protected the confidentiality of all their authors.

So now, Ginny was walking down Diagon Alley, heading towards the Leaky Cauldron to try and meet with the one reporter in the wizarding world she trusted: Luna Lovegood. Sure, Luna had a hard time paying attention to anything for too long of a period of time, and sure, Luna tended to believe in anything that wasn't logical, but Luna tended to pick up on things faster than most other people. Besides that, she was Ginny's last hope. If Luna couldn't help her at all, then no one could.

Ginny walked into the pub, and saw her old friend sitting at a table, chewing absently on a straw. It made Ginny feel good to realize that some people never changed. She headed over to Luna's table and took the chair opposite of her.

"Hello, Luna. Thank you for meeting me here," Ginny said warmly.

"Oh! I didn't even see you come in," Luna said, setting the straw down on the table.

"Not a problem," Ginny replied. "I know I was a little vague in my note, but I'm glad you came anyway."

"I thought you might want to talk to be about my latest article about the Snorkack," Luna commented offhandedly.

"Well, I did want to talk to you about your job," Ginny said, trying to steer Luna back on the right track. "Have you seen the newest edition of Witch Weekly?"

"Oh yes, Dad insists that we stay up to date with the lies our competition is reporting." Ginny would have felt very happy to hear someone talk about Witch Weekly publishing lies, if that person hadn't just commented on their latest article on Snorkacks.

"Well, then I'm assuming you saw the article about Harry," Ginny said. "We're trying to track down who wrote the article, and I was wondering if you had any idea."

"What was the name?"

"Valerie Valkyrie."

"There was a girl two years ahead of us at Hogwarts named Valerie that used to steal my things," Luna commented.

"Was her last name Valkyrie?" Ginny asked patiently.

"No," Luna replied. "I think it may have been Davis, or Dennison maybe."

"So you have no clue who this person is," Ginny concluded.

"No, but it sounds like she isn't very fond of Harry, like she has a grudge against him," Luna replied. "Maybe I should see if Dad will rerun the article we did on Harry during his fifth year. Maybe that would remind the people of everything Harry's been through."

"No," Ginny said, her mind developing an idea faster than she could process, "But we could do a new article on Harry." Ginny continued to run the idea through her mind. "Luna, would you be interested in doing an article on Harry? I mean it obviously couldn't be done right now since he's in Japan, but sometime soon. There's been too much bad publicity surrounding Harry."

"Sure. Maybe we could even take a picture of him with a Snorkack," Luna suggested. "It would do wonders for the public's perception of them."

"We'll see," Ginny said, too excited about the article to care about Luna's ramblings. "I'm so sorry to run, but I was supposed to go to Japan this morning. We're staying on a boat."

"Oh, then do be careful about the kappas."

"What?" Ginny asked.

"Water imps," Luna explained. "They're common around there. I'm thinking about doing an article on them. Quite fascinating creatures really; they look like scaly monkeys and they use their webbed hands to try and strangle swimmers …"

Ginny figured if she didn't cut Luna off then she'd be likely to ramble on about kappas for days. "Right, well, we'll have to get together again when I have more time to catch up. It's been good seeing you," Ginny said honestly. Strangely enough, she missed her friendship with her batty friend. She was determined that when her life calmed back down she would try and get back in touch with everyone she was friends with before the end of the war.

"That sounds lovely," Luna replied. "Have fun."

"Bye Luna."

"Bye, Ginny."

* * *

An hour later Ginny was walking up the front path of the Burrow. She had dropped her trunk back off there before she headed out on her search for Valerie. Now all she had to do was gather her trunk and she could join the team in Japan via her connection with Harry. She walked into the front door and found Ron, Padma, and her father sitting together in the sitting room. Ginny was surprised at the image, but quickly regained her composure.

"Ginny! What are you doing here?" Arthur asked, looking more than slightly confused at her presence.

"There was an emergency with the team I had to take care of," Ginny explained.

"You mean the article, don't you?" Ron asked. Ginny couldn't help but think he sounded smug.

"Yes. I take it you saw it?" she asked coolly. She hadn't really had a chance to talk to Ron since the night of the party, and Ginny wasn't about to let him off the hook for all of the things he had said.

"How could we miss it?" Padma answered for him. "My boss called me into work this morning and yelled at me for over an hour for being scooped. I was supposed to be the one with the inside track on the team and I missed all of this."

"Good career move since it's a load of rubbish," Ginny said shortly.

"So he's told you," Ron replied.

Ginny glared at him. "Come off it, Ron. He isn't nearly as bad as you'd like to think he is. If you would just listen to him for five minutes you might be surprised."

"That's enough," Arthur said calmly. "Are you going to be traveling with the three of us tomorrow morning now?"

"No, they've arranged for me to go on tonight. I just need to get my trunk," Ginny said, sending a significant look to her father. "You're coming Padma?"

"I have my press pass, but Ron invited me join him in the Top Box," she replied, placing her hand over Ron's and smiling.

"That's lovely," Ginny replied, trying her hardest to sound sincere. It was odd to her to think of her brother finally starting to move on with his life. Maybe it was a good thing, though. Maybe finding happiness with Padma would allow Ron to open up to Harry again. "Well, I'm going to go grab my trunk and then I'll be leaving. I'll see you all tomorrow."

Arthur stood up from his seat and embraced Ginny in a hug. "Good luck, and behave," he whispered into her ear. "Bye, sweetheart."

"Bye Dad, Ron, Padma. I'll see you all tomorrow." Ginny hurried out of the room and up the stairs to where her trunk was waiting for her. She was half way up the stairs when she realized someone was following her. Ginny turned around and was surprised to see Ron standing directly behind her.

"Yes, Ron?"

"Well, I wanted to apologize again. I feel like I keep acting like a jerk towards you…"

"You do," Ginny interrupted.

"Yes, well, I'm trying to stop. Seeing Harry just does bad things to me, and seeing you with Harry does worse things to me." Ginny's heart sank a little at his comment, but she continued to hear him out. "I kind of got tricked into going out with Padma last night, but I had a surprisingly good time. She's a really nice person, and she makes me laugh. For the first time in a long time I forgot about everything that happened to us. For the first time since leaving Hogwarts, I've wanted to move on with my life. I'm trying to move on with my life, and spending time with Padma is helping."

Ginny smiled genuinely at Ron. "I'm glad she's making you happy. It was time for you to move on."

"I think it's time you started looking for someone to move on with, too," Ron added. "You need to find someone who can make you happy."

"As soon as my life calms down, Ron," Ginny replied. She didn't think now was the time to tell him that she had found someone that made her very happy. For some strange reason she didn't think he'd approve.

"Well, I'll let you go. I just didn't want you to leave with things still so bad between us. Have fun, Ginny."

"Bye Ron."

Ginny watched Ron retreat down the stairs before entering her room to finish getting ready. She gave herself a quick once over in the mirror and, after approving her appearance, she took the handle of her trunk in one hand and pressed her other thumb against the rose on her wrist.

When Ginny arrived in her new destination she was confused as to where she was; the long distance trip made her feel a little disoriented. She realized she must be in part of Harry's room on the boat, but she couldn't figure out why she was surrounded by steam. Ginny squinted her eyes to try and get a better picture or her surroundings. She was afraid to call out to Harry in case he wasn't alone.

Ginny noticed that there was a counter in front of her and realized that the noise she was hearing was the shower. Ginny felt her heart begin to beat a little faster at the thought of catching Harry in the shower. She tried to slowly back out of the room, but unfortunately she forgot about her trunk. She let out a pained yelp as she fell backwards over the trunk and landed on the ground on her bum.

"Who's there?" a startled Harry asked. Ginny got her first glimpse of him since that morning as he stuck his head out from the shower curtain. The small glimpse she got was enough to make her hesitate to catch her breath before responding.

"It's me, Harry," she called finally.

"What are you doing down there?"

"Well, I'm not having a picnic," Ginny retorted. "I fell over my trunk." She struggled to stand up, rubbing her now sore bum.

"But why are you in my bathroom?"

"Are you still wearing your ring?" Ginny asked patiently.

"Oh," Harry commented dumbly. "Well, um, do you mind if I finish my shower?"

"I was actually trying to leave when I fell," Ginny explained. She grabbed the handle of her trunk and dragged it out of the bathroom.

"You're room is connected to mine," Harry called as Ginny closed the bathroom door behind her. Ginny stepped into the room and was amazed at its size and beauty. She couldn't believe that this room was on a boat. She noticed two doors and assumed that one lead to her bedroom. Ginny dropped her trunk in Harry's room and walked over to the window. It was dark out, and she could see the stars shining. There was a pool right outside of Harry's room.

"Hey," Harry said, walking into the room in a robe. "Sorry about that."

"It was my fault," Ginny said. "I should have sent word that I was coming." She turned her attention back to the window. "Shouldn't it be morning here?"

"They charmed the windows so we could get some sleep without throwing off our systems," Harry explained. "I actually should have been in bed long before now but I was worried to go to sleep without you." Harry looked like a little boy without his glasses and his hair still wet from his shower. It made Ginny want to hold him and take care of him… not that she didn't always want to do that.

"Sorry I was so late, but you know how busy things can be," Ginny said, careful not to say anything to Harry about the article. "So how does this work?"

"Well, your room is right through that door. There's an Auror and trainee assigned to every two rooms, and Tonks is our Auror. You can stay in here at night, and then leave from your room in the morning… which is about five hours from now."

"Five hours!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Technically it's already morning, but we're on a tight schedule with when the match starts. Coach Mason wants us to have a long warm up before the match."

"Well then, you need your sleep. Let me drop off my trunk and change clothes and then I'll be right back," Ginny said. She hurried into her room and got ready for bed. She would worry about unpacking later, if she actually got to stay on the boat for more than one night.

When she walked back into Harry's bedroom, he was already in bed waiting for her. She climbed into bed next to him and snuggled up with him.

"I've missed you today," Harry said as he kissed the top of her head.

"I missed you, too," Ginny replied with a yawn. She thought about her impossible mission for the day, and debated whether or not she should tell Harry about the article. She knew Mr. Perry didn't want him to know, and she could see how it would distract him from the game, but Ginny had made a promise to herself that she was going to be truthful with Harry.

"Harry?" she asked tentatively.

"Yeah?"

"I have something I need to tell you, but I think it's going to upset you. I'm not supposed to tell you, but I promised myself that I wouldn't keep anymore secrets from you."

"Ginny, you're rambling," Harry said patiently. "Just tell me what it is, and I promise I won't get upset or let it distract me tomorrow."

Ginny felt like Harry had been reading her thoughts. When she thought about it, she realized there was a real possibility he had been. "There was an article published about you today. It was filled with lies and was very negative," Ginny said very quickly.

Harry let out a long sigh. "Well, it's happened before and it'll happen again. I'll read it after the match."

Ginny couldn't help but feel like she made the right decision when she heard his response. She should have known he'd be used to being portrayed negatively in the press by now. She looked over at him and noticed that his eyes seemed to be drooping behind his glasses. "You need your sleep for tomorrow," she said, pulling his glasses off his face and setting them down on the night table.

Harry leaned over and gave her a small kiss. "I know. Good night, Gin."

"Good night, Harry."

* * *

A/N So the next chapter is finally the first match, and I'll go ahead and warn you it ends on a cliffhanger. Thank you so much for all of your reviews, they really do mean a lot to me. Things are hectic right now, and if I don't get a good chance to catch up there's a possibility I'll be taking a week off from posting soon. I hate to do it, but after next week I'll be on spring break and I'll be traveling, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have to write. We'll see, though. Also, I know that kappas are real things studied at Hogwarts. I chose to use them after doing a google search for Japanese mythical creatures, and my lovely beta pointed out that they actually exist in Harry's world. So, due to the irony I kept them in. 


	22. The First Match

A/N Okay, I know I'm late, but this is the first time I've had computer access since I left campus on Friday! Plus, you all have to forgive me because yesterday was my birthday. But that's enough from me, on to the story...

Ginny woke up the next morning feeling better than she had in days. She was laying comfortably in Harry's arms, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart beat. She knew that they had to get up before too long, but she couldn't bring herself to cut the blissful moment short one second sooner than she had to. When everything else in her life was chaotic, she could find peace in Harry's arms; in Harry's arms she found home.

Harry stirred in his sleep, mumbling something incoherent. Ginny rolled over so she could look in his eyes when he managed to open them. She smiled as he cracked one green eye open, slowly followed by the other. He smiled at her, and brought up a hand to run it through her rumpled hair.

"Morning," Harry said sleepily.

"Morning," Ginny replied. "Ready for your big day?"

"I'm ready for anything if I know I get to come home with you," Harry said, kissing her forehead.

Ginny tried her hardest not to blush. Sometimes it still felt awkward to her to hear Harry talk like that. Even when she was sleeping in the same bed as him, she couldn't help but doubt his feelings from time to time. It was just something that came from loving Harry for so long without him returning her feelings.

"You have to be at warm ups in an hour," Ginny told him.

"I know," Harry said, making no effort to get out of the bed. "You need to check in with Tonks, too. I don't know who her trainee was… didn't get to meet him."

"So, I should go to my room then?" Ginny asked. She didn't want to leave Harry, but she knew it was about time for them to rejoin the real world. The thought that she got to spend her nights with Harry helped make facing the world seem easier.

"Probably." Harry leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of her head. Even the simplest of gestures from Harry sent shivers down Ginny's spine. She couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have Harry kiss her all over. She felt her skin flush as she closed her eyes, trying to block out the mental image and calm her body down.

Ginny noticed Harry was making no effort to release her, and she knew the only way to save her self control was to remove herself from the situation. She moved out of his arms and slid off the bed, instantly regretting her decision to be responsible.

"I'll see you a little bit later," Harry said. Ginny could tell by his voice he was regretting her decision as much as she was.

"Right." Ginny took one long last look at Harry in bed before heading to the door that adjoined their rooms. She looked at her perfectly made room and still unpacked trunk, wishing that she didn't have to keep up the facade. She opened her trunk and pulled out her dressing gown, slipping it on and tying it securely around her waist. Ginny wanted to check in with the Auror assigned to her room before getting in the shower and getting ready for the day's activities.

Ginny opened her door and stuck her head out. She saw Tonks standing outside of what she figured must be Harry's door, talking to a man with dark hair. Oddly enough, Ginny thought she recognized the man. When he turned around, she discovered that she did in fact know the person assigned to be her guard.

"Ginny Weasley!"

Ginny pulled her gown closer together and forced a smile. "Michael! I didn't know you wanted to be an Auror!"

Michael Corner hurried down the hall towards Ginny with Tonks fast on his heels. "Well, I didn't think I could be! But once the war was over they were so short that they decreased the requirements some, and here I am!"

"Well, Michael has done really well with all the training so far. Don't let him sell himself short," Tonks added.

"Well, good for you!" Ginny was honestly happy for her ex. She hadn't thought he would amount to much of anything, but that didn't mean she wasn't happy to hear he was succeeding.

"So, what are you planning to do when the World Cup is over?" Michael asked.

Ginny inwardly groaned. She didn't know how to explain that she didn't know what she wanted to do; that she had more important things to worry about right now than her future career… Not that her future career wasn't important.

"I'm not sure yet. I'm just taking things one day at a time," Ginny replied, hoping she came off as cheerful.

"Well, hopefully the team will make it to the championship game and you'll have plenty of time to decide," Michael said happily. "I was so excited when I found out that you were my assignment. Of course, I'm technically paired with Tonks, but I'm responsible for you."

"I have faith in your abilities," Tonks said reassuringly. "Ginny, it's important with everything going on that you don't leave the room without Michael or me. Somebody needs to know where you are at all times. I've already been through this once with the team, but I need to make sure you understand."

Ginny nodded to show her compliance. "Of course. Anytime I come out of that door," she paused to shoot Tonks a significant look, "I'll make sure to let one of you know."

"Sounds like a plan," Michael said, oblivious to the second meaning behind Ginny's words.

Ginny tried to keep her sunny disposition up for a few moments longer. "Well, I need to go take a shower so I can head down to the pitch with the team in a little while."

"Alright, we'll be right here waiting," Michael replied.

"Right," Ginny said. It felt a little awkward to her to know that her first boyfriend would be standing outside of her room, keeping guard at all times. Fortunately, they had remained on friendly terms after their breakup, even if they hadn't really remained friends. "Well, I'll see you both in a bit then."

Ginny walked back into her bedroom and headed for the bathroom. She found the number of her exes that she had run into over the last few days to be strangely high. She couldn't think of any real explanation for it, nothing about her encounters had been too far out of the realm of possibility, but somewhere in the back of her mind she thought she was getting closure for all of the time she had spent without knowing Harry cared for her.

With that thought, Ginny began to prepare for her day; hoping that it would end as well as it had started.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Ginny found herself in the top box at the Quidditch Pitch watching the team practice with Mr. Perry. They looked to be playing in top form, even while just holding a light work out. It was obvious to Ginny that Mr. Perry was elated with the current status of the team. She could tell that he was going to take all of the credit for putting the team together, should they succeed.

"They look brilliant, don't they?" Mr. Perry asked, sounding as if he were on cloud nine.

Ginny smiled at him and nodded. "They do."

"Even old Mason can't find anything wrong with them today."

"Well, let's just hope that Japan can't find anything wrong with them," Ginny added. She viewed the match from two different perspectives herself; still torn between wanting them to win and wanting them to lose. She had finally settled on letting everything take care of itself, knowing that she would get to spend her nights with Harry regardless of the outcome of the match.

"It's just a shame you couldn't track down whoever wrote that article," Mr. Perry said, as he watched Harry circle the pitch.

"Well, I think having an article to counter that one will help," Ginny replied. She knew that Luna would come through for her; she always had in the past. "Did you get to watch Japan practice earlier?"

"No, their practice was closed like ours is," Mr. Perry replied. "They've only got a few minutes left before they start letting the fans in. It looks like they're wrapping things up."

Sure enough, Ginny could see Mason calling for the team to come back down to the ground, and they all headed into the changing rooms. Not two minutes after they had disappeared, the stands began to fill. Ginny wondered how long it would take for people to start entering the top box. She figured she'd be lucky if she actually got to watch the match. Out of all the people who worked with planning the event, she was the only one who was 'on duty' during the match itself. If anything were to happen that needed attending to, she'd have to be the one who responded.

"Well, I think we should head down for now," Mr. Perry said. "I've got to go greet the Minister and her guests. You'll be checking on the team now, right?"

Ginny nodded her head. She knew it was an order, not a question. "I'm heading down to the changing rooms right now." She followed Mr. Perry out of the box and made the long journey to the changing rooms at the base of the volcano. The pitch itself was quite exquisite, but Ginny hadn't found the time to fully appreciate it. She'd gone straight from the boat that morning to the pitch, and had been working almost non stop since. It was easy to forget that she was being followed, since her guard was wearing an invisibility cloak, but from time to time she'd hear him cough or trip and she'd remember he was there.

What was worse, though, was remembering why he was there. She and Harry were being threatened, and they had no idea who was responsible. It worried her that the culprit had been surprisingly quiet since the last threat. She couldn't believe that all they wanted was to keep Harry from talking to the press. Ginny had a very bad feeling that something terrible was going to happen.

Ginny finally reached the changing rooms and knocked on the door before entering. She saw the team sitting in comfortable looking chairs in a semicircle while Mason went over a diagram in the air with Jeff and Wesley. They were all wearing their new team uniforms, and the expressions on their faces portrayed varying states of nervousness. Jacob was by far the worst, the color of his face reminded Ginny of a prank the twins had once pulled to turn Harry's skin green. MJ, Dustin, and Tank were talking together, but their laughter seemed a little forced. Harry, however, was the image of serenity. He didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that they were about to start playing for the World Cup in the least. In fact, when Ginny tried to look into Harry's eyes they looked almost vacant, like he wasn't really there.

"Excuse me, but does anyone need anything?" Ginny spoke up. They all turned around to look at her, and Ginny couldn't help but notice that there seemed to be life in Harry's eyes again.

"There were supposed to be light food and beverages in here, and they're obviously not here," Mason growled. "I'm sure your incompetence is to blame, so why don't you try to track them down."

"I don't think anybody's really hungry," Tank spoke up.

"Of course you're hungry!" Mason replied.

"It's not a problem, really," Ginny said quickly. "I'll get right on it." Ginny hurried out of the room and went on a mission to find the team's missing refreshments.

Thirty minutes and four house elves later, Ginny was assured that the proper things would be in the team's changing room immediately. She made her way back through the winding hallways to get to the room to check for herself, but it took so long for her to get there that all she found was an uneaten table of food.

Ginny let out a long sigh of resignation. If the match hadn't started already, it would have by the time she got back to the top box. Despite the fact that her legs felt like they were about to fall off, she left the room and headed back up the long path to the top box.

After what felt like an eternity, Ginny finally found herself in the top box. She quickly spotted red hair and made her way over to her family. She took the empty seat in between her father and Fred.

"Ginny! We were wondering where you got to," Arthur said.

"Thanks for the great seats," Fred added.

"No problem," Ginny replied, turning her attention to the match.

"You've been missing the match," Ron spoke up from the other side of Arthur.

Ginny glared at him. "Well, I decided I didn't want to watch after all."

"Honestly, Ron, she was probably working," Padma spoke up. It was the first time Ginny noticed her presence, but as soon as she did she couldn't help but notice that her hand was intertwined with Ron's.

"Mason sent me off on a wild goose chase," Ginny explained. She looked over to see the score. "We're up by thirty!"

"That Taylor Thompkins is a brilliant keeper," Charlie said.

Ginny turned around in her seat and smiled at Charlie and Tonks who were sitting behind them. "That's Tank. He's a really great guy."

"Ooo, there goes Dustin with the quaffle again….. Yes! He scored!" Ron shouted. The entire top box broke into applause. Ginny stole a glance at the Japanese box beside theirs. It didn't look like they were enjoying the game nearly as much over there.

Ginny continued to observe the game intensely, watching England build up a sixty point lead, and then allow it to drop to thirty. She tried to keep her eyes on the chasers, but her attention kept being drawn to Harry. She felt her heart race with fear and excitement every time he took a dive, and felt enormously relieved whenever he was safely back in the air. Even though she'd watched Harry play for four years and played with him for one, she never got used to the recklessness with which he flew. Every time his feet came close to brushing the ground Ginny's heart nearly stopped. When a bludger came dangerously close to knocking Harry off his broom, Ginny grabbed her father's hand and gripped it so tightly he had to gently ask her to let go.

England had the lead, 140 to 30, when Harry spotted the snitch. Ginny held her breath as she watched Harry head straight for the ground, dodging bludgers all the while having the Japanese seeker right on his tail. They were headed for a collision if neither one pulled up, but Ginny could tell by the way Harry was flying he was going to get the snitch or die trying.

Ginny didn't know if she could handle watching Harry crash, but she couldn't bring herself to look away. She felt Tonks's comforting hand on her shoulder and her father placed his hand over her own. Ginny was grateful for all the support they were giving her, but she felt like she was going to be nauseous. Time seemed to slow as Harry reached the final feet above the ground with his right hand outstretched. It looked like the other seeker was going to bump Harry just enough to knock him off his course, but at the last second a bludger came flying their way, causing the Japanese seeker to move and allowing Harry to capture the snitch.

"We won!" Ron exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. For a moment, it seemed like he had forgotten all about his animosity towards Harry.

Ginny felt someone nudge her from behind and she turned around to see Tonks smile and wink at her. Ginny let out a long sigh of relief and smiled back.

"So it looks like you still have a job," Arthur said smiling.

"So I do," Ginny replied. "But I guess that means I'm officially back on duty."

"So soon?" Fred asked, taking a break from his celebration.

"I'm afraid so," Ginny replied.

"Actually, I'm back on duty now as well," Tonks said. She leaned over and placed a small kiss on Charlie's cheek before extending her arm to Ginny. "Shall we?"

Ginny laughed and took Tonks's arm. Together they made their way from the top box, where the celebration was still going in full force, and walked down to the team's changing room.

"That was a great match," Tonks said.

"It about gave me a heart attack," Ginny replied laughing. "The team did look good, though."

"Yeah, I bet you thought so."

Ginny laughed. "I resent the implication, but I can't deny how good Harry looks in his uniform." They continued walking for a few moments when something dawned on Ginny. She quickly looked behind her to see if any one was paying any attention to them. "Where was Hermione today? I thought for sure she'd be here."

"Well, she's never been to many of Harry's matches. I enjoy them more, so I usually used his tickets, but today she actually had a good excuse. She got Lillian today."

"Oh, I bet she's on cloud nine."

Tonks laughed. "Yeah, if she's not stuck with a miserable crying baby."

"Good point." Ginny was happy for Hermione, but she was worried that Hermione was expecting Harry to play the role of father to her child. Even though Hermione was getting her own flat, Harry was still the only real male presence in her life. The thought of them being considered a family didn't sit well with Ginny; Harry was supposed to have a family with her.

Before Ginny knew it, they were back at the changing room. Tonks knocked on the door before barging into the room. Surprisingly, the room was completely empty.

"They must still be celebrating," Tonks said.

"I wish we were," Ginny said, flopping down into one of the empty chairs the team had been occupying earlier.

"Just a part of the job," Tonks replied. "Corner, you can take off that cloak."

Ginny was startled to see Michael appear directly to her right. In all of the excitement over the match she had forgotten that she was being tailed. She hoped she he hadn't seen or heard her do anything she shouldn't have been doing. Ginny made a mental note not to go near Harry alone unless they were in the privacy of one of their bedrooms.

"Great match," Michael said, sitting down near Ginny. "That was an awesomely aimed bludger Wesley sent towards that other seeker right at the end. I can't say I'm not enjoying this assignment."

"Well, don't get used to it," Tonks said laughing. "They won't all be this glamorous."

Before Michael could reply, the door opened and Jeff, Jacob, and MJ walked into the room. They were all holding glasses and MJ had his armed draped over Jacob's shoulders, although Ginny wasn't sure if it was for support or comradely.

"Congratulations!" Ginny exclaimed, standing up so she could give each of them a hug.

"Thanks love," MJ replied.

"Where's Harry?" Tonks asked.

"He, Tank, Dustin, and Wesley are doing press," Jeff explained.

Tonks let out a long sigh. "Well, duty calls. Michael, I'll meet you back on the boat if I don't see you before then." Michael nodded his compliance and Tonks set off in search of Harry.

"Does he really need a body guard?" Jacob asked curiously.

"Technically we all have them," Ginny explained, "but Harry's security is a little tighter because of who he is… especially while we're on foreign grounds in a high publicity situation. I can guarantee you that you'll all be tailed the second you leave this room." Ginny grinned at them. "You're moving on to the second round; you're all very valuable to the English Ministry now."

"You hear that? We're valuable," MJ said laughing.

"Not me," Jacob said sullenly. "I played like an intimidated rookie."

"No worries," MJ replied. "You'll get yours the next round."

The door open again and Mr. Perry walked into the room, followed by Wesley and Dustin. "Ginny, I need you to go back to the boat so you can make sure everything's prepared for our celebration dinner tonight," Mr. Perry said.

Ginny fought the urge to roll her eyes. "I'll get right on that. Congratulations again, everybody." Ginny headed out of the room with Michael right on her tail. She made her way to the Ministry set apparition point so she could go back to the boat. Right before she was about to apparate, she caught sight of Ron and Padma in the corner of her eye. She was going to go over to say goodbye when she saw Ron lean down and kiss Padma. The sight shocked Ginny, even though she wasn't sure why. She was happy that Ron was finally moving on with his life, but something about the sight slightly disturbed her. She turned her back to them and cleared her mind so she could apparate back to the boat.

* * *

Two hours later the feast was about ready and Ginny still hadn't seen Harry. All she wanted to do was give him a hug and congratulate him, but he was being kept so busy doing interviews that he had yet to make it back to the boat. Ginny was sitting in the elaborate dining room filled with a feast fit for a king, waiting for the team to arrive. She glanced at the clock on the wall, wondering when the team would arrive.

As if reading her thoughts, the doors to the room burst open and the team came through the doors. They were with their friends and families; most of whom would be taking the boat back to England with them. They were all officially on vacation for the next few days; all of them except for Ginny, that is. Ginny would be on duty until the day the World Cup was over. She didn't really mind, if only because Harry didn't have anyone on the boat with him, so they could spend their free time together.

"Ginny, this looks magnificent," Tank said, pulling her into a hug.

"It really does," Marissa added.

"Are the kids in the playroom?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, thank you so much for thinking of setting one up. It means I really get a vacation," Marissa replied.

Ginny laughed. "Well, I'm glad somebody does. Why don't we sit down?" Ginny sat down at the long table across from Marissa and Tank and beside Jacob. The door opened again, and she caught a glimpse of Harry walking into the room with Dustin and Mr. Perry, but they sat down at the table about as far away from Ginny as possible. She couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

"Is work getting to you?" Jacob asked.

It made Ginny smiled to realize he was genuinely concerned with her well-being. "I'm fine," she assured him. But if Ginny was honest with herself, she wasn't fine. She was starting to become rather desperate to talk to Harry, for reasons she didn't comprehend. She was quiet throughout all of dinner, speaking only when she was spoken to. She drank when toasts were made, but she was starting to look for an excuse to leave.

As soon as dinner was over, she excused herself from the group and made her way back to her room. She looked out her window and noticed the pool right outside her room. The water looked very inviting in the moonlight, but Ginny really only wanted to talk to Harry.

The door connecting her room to Harry's opened and Harry walked into her bedroom, looking thoroughly exhausted. Ginny walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He placed his arms over her shoulders and held her close. Ginny smiled as she felt Harry place a kiss on the top of her head.

"Long day?" Ginny asked.

"You have no idea."

"I've missed you."

Harry chuckled. "You just saw me this morning."

"So?" Ginny pulled back a little so she could look Harry in the eye. "It's hard watching everyone else be together and knowing that I can't have that right now."

"Our time will come."

"I was so tired before, but now I feel like doing something," Ginny said.

Harry sighed. "I'm sorry, Gin, but I just want to read for a bit and then go to bed."

"How old are you?" she teased.

"It feels like I'm 180."

Ginny glanced out the window longingly. "I'd love to go for a swim."

"Why don't you? By the time you finish I'll have finished my reading and then we can go to bed."

Ginny would much rather go swimming with Harry than alone, but she agreed. She gave Harry a quick kiss goodbye before going to her trunk and pulling out her swimsuit. She fingered the thin material on the blue one piece. It was old, and a bit worn, but she didn't swim enough to want to spend the money on a new one. She'd had the suit since she'd been fifteen or sixteen, and it was getting a little small, but she didn't think anyone would be watching her tonight. She slipped on her dressing gown over her suit and headed out the door.

"Where are we going?"

Seeing Michael startled Ginny; she had completely forgotten that he was supposed to be trailing her everywhere. "I was going to go for a swim, but I don't have to."

"Well, don't let me stop you. I'd love to have something to do before my night relief comes."

Ginny smiled at him. "Well, I won't stay long."

They made there way out to the pool, and Ginny suddenly felt self-conscious when she went to remove her dressing gown. She wasn't completely comfortable with Michael watching her. She decided that doing it quickly would be the best plan of action. She set her gown and wand down on one of the lounge chairs and dove into the pool.

The water was charmed to be warm, and Ginny instantly felt all of her stress from the day disappear. She waded in the water for a few moments, simply enjoying the starry night, before starting to swim the length of the pool. After several laps Ginny rested towards the end of the pool, dangling her arms over the side to stay a float.

"You're a good swimmer," Michael commented.

"Thanks. I used to swim with my brothers in the lake behind our house. We liked to race each other."

"I bet you won all the time," Michael said grinning.

"Actually, I only won if I cheated," Ginny replied laughing. "Their bodies were almost twice as long as mine!"

"Your brothers were intimidating. I always felt like Ron was glaring at me when we were going out," Michael commented.

"That's probably because he was. I don't think he liked you very much. Actually, I think he was happy when he found out that you had moved on with Cho… got rid of two people he wasn't exactly thrilled with at the same time."

"Hey!"

Ginny grinned at Michael. "Well, Ron didn't think Cho was right for Harry and he definitely didn't think that you were right for me, so it worked out great for him."

"Didn't you start seeing someone else right after me?"

Ginny nodded. "Dean Thomas."

"And then you just had to go out with almost all of my roommates, didn't you?"

"I don't think I ever went out with any of them more than once," Ginny said, defending herself.

"Apparently once was enough."

Ginny wasn't sure what to make of his comment, but she decided that it was time to go to bed and to Harry. She pulled herself out of the water and hurried over to her wand. She performed a drying charm on herself before slipping on her dressing gown. She tied it securely around her waist and headed back to her bedroom.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Michael."

"Good night, Ginny."

Ginny closed her door behind her and almost screamed when she felt someone throw their arms around her. "Harry! You scared me!" Harry was still holding her, but he looked furious. "What's wrong?" Ginny was almost afraid to let him answer the question; she didn't want to know what could have happened in such a short period of time to upset him this much.

"You were just letting him ogle you."

"What?"

"Corner. You should have seen the way he was looking at you. I thought he was going to pounce on you right then and there."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Come on, Harry. I was swimming, and then we were talking. The only reason he was there was for my protection."

"I can protect you," Harry insisted.

Ginny leaned forward and kissed Harry. "You're being silly. Michael doesn't care about me anymore, and I definitely don't care about him. And right now, you need more protection than anyone. Besides, you didn't want to go swimming with me."

"I do now."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Well now it's a little late. I'm already inside and I don't intend on going back out."

"That's not what I meant." Harry took Ginny by the hand a lead in into her bathroom. There was music playing in the room, and the mirror was already steamed up. The huge tub was filled with water, and it looked like a charm was cast on the water, causing it to circulate and bubble. "This is what I meant." Harry untied Ginny's dressing gown and slipped it off her shoulders before revealing his bathing suit by taking off his own. He stepped into the tub, and Ginny hesitantly followed him.

"Why did you do this?"

"Because I wanted to spend time with you and I can't outside of this room. You wanted to swim so this was my solution."

Ginny slid over in the tub so she was sitting directly beside Harry. He put his arm around her and she leaned into him. "Thank you for doing this." They sat in silence, enjoying the company and the water, when something hit Ginny. "Were you watching me swim?"

Harry leaned over and kissed her. "I've always loved watching you swim."

"So weren't you ogling me as well?"

"Guilty as charged."

Ginny moved over so she was sitting on Harry's lap. She drew her hands up his slick, wet back and ran them through his hair. His glasses were steamed up, so Ginny pulled them off of his face and set them down on the edge of the tub. They were sitting so close she could see his wet eyelashes stuck together. She smiled before slowly leaning in to kiss him. It still amazed Ginny that she never got tired of kissing him. Even the smallest of kisses from Harry lit a fire inside of her she hadn't known existed before she started to see him.

Something about being in Harry's arms gave Ginny courage to do things should wouldn't normally do. His looks made her bold, his smile made her gutsy, and his kisses made her want to things her mother told her only a scarlet woman would do before she was married.

It was so easy for Ginny to lose herself in Harry. She didn't know if she would realize that the room was burning down around them when he was kissing her.

"Ginny? Oh Merlin, I am so sorry! I would not have come in here if it wasn't an emergency!" Ginny felt her cheeks go scarlet as she pried herself off of Harry. She was too ashamed to turn around, and she felt her stomach turn to lead at facing their intruder. "Again, I am so sorry, but it's Dustin. He's really sick and we're going back to England immediately."

* * *

A/N Okay I know I'm evil. Late and make it a cliff hanger. Sorry, I didn't realize my cliff hanger would show up the same time I'd b traveling. I was planning on skipping next week, but since I was late this week I won't. It just might mean I skip the week after next. It'll all depend on how caught up I get. Anyway, thank you for your reviews and I'm sorry I was late! 


	23. Consequences

Michael's words quickly erased the embarrassment from Ginny's mind. She pulled herself off of Harry's lap and looked at Michael seriously.

"What's wrong with Dustin?"

"Tonks just went to go see for sure, but the Auror assigned to his room said that he had passed out and wasn't responding to anything," Michael explained. "His wife was very upset."

"I can imagine," Ginny replied. She was starting to panic herself. It sounded like whatever was wrong with Dustin was serious; especially if they were taking the boat directly back to England and canceling the vacation. It scared her to think that he could have been attacked under all of the security that the Ministry had provided.

"Right, well, um, I'm just going to wait outside until I hear anything else," Michael said awkwardly. "Tonks wanted me to tell you to say put until she gets back."

It was then Ginny realized that she and Harry were still in the tub, and that now one more person knew their secret. "Michael, I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to anyone. I'll talk to you more about it later, but now there are more important things to worry about."

Michael nodded, and left the room. Ginny looked over at Harry, expecting him to look as nervous and worried as she felt, but instead he just looked nauseous. She reached over and placed a hand on his chest.

"Are you okay?" Harry didn't respond, but he moved to get out of the tub. Ginny watched him cancel all of the charms in the room and slip his dressing gown back on. She got out of the tub and dried herself off with one of the fluffy towels in the bathroom. She put on her dressing gown and followed Harry out of the room.

"Talk to me," she pleaded.

Harry sat down on the edge of her bed and held his head in his hands. "This is all my fault."

"How could this be your fault?"

"Someone handed me a glass of Champaign when they were making toasts, but I didn't drink it. When Dustin finished his glass, I gave him mine. I'd be willing to bet that one glass is what did this to him."

"Harry, you don't know that. How would someone have put something in your glass, anyway?"

"The waiter who gave it to me just seemed so insistent that I take that glass, even after I told him that I didn't want to drink."

Ginny felt her heart begin to beat faster. "Do you think you would recognize the waiter if you saw him again?"

"I don't think so. It was fairly dark, and I don't think I saw him again after he gave me the glass."

"And you're sure that he was insistent that you take that one glass?"

Harry nodded. "I'm sure."

"We have to tell Tonks right away. Someone could be trying to hurt the team's chances at the cup. We could be looking at an angry Japanese fan, or someone worrying that you guys are too good."

"Or," Harry interrupted her, "we could be looking at someone who just doesn't like me. Someone who holds a grudge against me. Someone who doesn't want me on the team. Someone who would prefer that I spend my life chasing down dark wizards."

Ginny sat down next to Harry on the bed and took his hand in her own. "Harry, there is a good chance that this has nothing to do with you. There is a chance Dustin is just sick, or he's overly exhausted, or that, that, well, I don't know. But there is a good chance that this has nothing to do with you or us."

"So, you think it was just a coincidence that I was getting threatening notes?"

"Well, no. But I'm not going to assume that this had anything to do with either one of us until we have more information. Can you do that?"

Harry let out a long sigh. "What are we going to do about Corner?"

"We'll let Tonks explain things to him. He's a ministry employee; he'll have to keep quiet if he wants to keep his job," Ginny replied with a shrug. "I'm not thrilled that he knows, but its better that it's someone we know instead of someone we don't."

There was a knock on the door and Ginny went to answer it. A very flustered looking Tonks was standing in the doorway. "Come in."

Tonks walked into the room and began pacing in front of Harry. "They've taken Dustin to St. Mungo's by emergency portkey. It definitely looks like he was poisoned."

"I think it was meant for me," Harry said quietly.

Tonks stopped in her tracks and looked Harry in the eye. "Are you sure?"

"Pretty much. He drank out of a glass that was intended for me. Someone was very insistent that I take the glass in the first place. It all makes sense to me."

Tonks sighed. "I was afraid of that. I knew you were sitting next to him at dinner, and I thought it would be too lucky if it turned out this had nothing to do with you."

"So what does this mean?" Ginny spoke up.

"It means that this boat will be back in England by tomorrow afternoon. Everyone on the team will still have four days off, and then they will start having practices once a day. Everyone will be tailed by an Auror and it will be the recommendation of the Ministry that you all stay in your private homes as much as possible, going only to and from practice if you can help it."

"Michael found out about us," Harry said suddenly.

"I thought he looked a little pink," Tonks commented.

"Well, he walked in on us in a fairly compromising position," Ginny admitted, turning pink herself.

"Don't worry about him; I'll talk to him. It was probably inevitable that he found out anyway if he's supposed to be tailing Ginny. He'll just have to sign a Ministry confidentiality agreement," Tonks explained.

"So, he's going to continue to be Ginny's guard?" Harry asked. Ginny couldn't help but notice the twinge of jealousy in Harry's voice. It did wonders for her heart to know that he cared enough to be jealous.

"I think so. He's proven himself capable while he's been working here. Besides, there are enough wards at the Burrow that she's safe there, and the same goes for when she's at your flat, so it'd really just be when she's at the Ministry or running errands." Tonks paused and looked Ginny directly in the eyes. "Not that I expect her to go much of anywhere."

"What does that mean for my job?" Ginny asked.

"It means that Mr. Perry will probably have to be let in on your relationship with Harry as well, and that someone else will probably be taking over most of your duties that would require you to be out and about. Basically, your job will be reduced to attending games and doing desk work."

"Do you really think this is that serious? I mean, we don't even know what's wrong with Dustin yet." Ginny was starting to feel very frustrated. She didn't want to be forced to live her life in a box.

"You're right. If it turns out this has nothing to do with you or Harry, then you can disregard everything I just said. But unfortunately, my gut instinct is telling me that this was an attack that was meant for Harry," Tonks replied. "I'm sorry, Ginny, but this is probably how it's going to have to be."

"But why Ginny? Why not put all of the restrictions on me?" Harry asked. "It's not fair that she should have to suffer just because she's involved with me. If you're going to do that, why not put restrictions on yourself and Hermione as well?"

"Because the person who's been threatening you hasn't mentioned anyone but Ginny in their threats," Tonks explained. "Trust me, though, there will be plenty of restrictions on you as well, especially when it comes to seeing Ginny. On Saturday we prepared all kinds of possible solutions for how to protect you two incase something happened. This is just the security scheme I think will most likely be implemented after I give my report to Minister Bones."

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like this very much?" Ginny asked, glancing over at Harry.

"Well, basically you probably won't be able to see each other apart from late at night when you're going to bed, and you can only see each other by traveling by your portkeys. It's not that you wouldn't be safe if you were in Harry's flat, but you could raise a lot of questions if you both disappear for long periods of time, and you never know who's watching you."

"At least we still get to see each other," Ginny commented. She placed her head on Harry's shoulder. "I hate this," she whispered.

"Would it help if I quit the team?" Harry asked suddenly.

"What?" Tonks and Ginny exclaimed at the same time. Ginny pulled back so she could look in Harry's eyes to see if he was serious.

"Well, maybe if I quit the team all of this would go away and Ginny could still have a normal life."

"I hate to say it, Harry, but Ginny will never have a normal life as long as you're in it," Tonks said slowly. "You were receiving threats the entire year you two didn't speak to each other, and if the person who's attacking you is trying to hurt you, it won't make a difference whether or not you're on the team. Besides, they already know about Ginny, so she's going to need extra protection now regardless."

"I understand if you just want to wipe your hands of me," Harry said sullenly.

Ginny took Harry's face in her hands and forced him to look her in the eye. "The only reason I want to wipe my hands of you right now is because your self-pitying attitude is getting on my nerves. We've been over this before; you don't have to suffer alone. I'm with you because I want to be, not because it's easy. I wouldn't be spending all of my time sneaking around so I can be with you if I didn't care about you. You won't be getting rid of me that easily."

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered.

Ginny leaned over and kissed him. "Just don't slide back into the brooding boy you used to be."

Harry chuckled slightly. "I'll try."

"Well, I'm going to go take my position again. You two get some sleep; we'll be arriving back in England tomorrow. Try not to worry too much, there's nothing else you can do about this for now." Tonks left them alone in Ginny's bedroom.

"Well, this has been a long day," Ginny commented. "It doesn't feel like I was just swimming my stress away an hour ago."

Harry silently stood up and began pacing the room. He stopped in front of Ginny's trunk and gave it a swift kick, only wincing slightly at the pain it caused his foot. "I hate not being in control of my life!" he exclaimed.

"Well, don't take it out on my trunk!"

"I just wish there was something I could do. I'm not used to having everyone else make decisions for me. I feel like I was more independent when I was at Hogwarts. Now, I can barely buy new clothes without the Ministry's approval."

"They're just trying to keep you safe," Ginny pointed out. "I can't really help you here because I still don't know exactly what's going on," she added quietly.

Harry sighed. "I'm sorry I'm putting you through this."

"I'm choosing to go through this with you." Ginny stood up and walked over to where Harry still stood next to her trunk. "Go get ready for bed and I'll be there in a minute." Harry walked into his own room looking like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. It amazed Ginny that every time they seemed to have a moment alone together, something happened to ruin it. She knew she should be mortified that Michael caught them snogging in the tub, but since they were both clothed she couldn't bring herself to have the energy to care.

Ginny wondered how Dustin's wife and sons were holding up. She knew that she would be a complete mess if it was Harry that was currently unconscious. It didn't seem to hit her until that moment how close it came to being Harry that was currently unconscious. She shook the thought out of her mind and changed into a nightgown. She loosely plaited her hair and walked into Harry's room.

Harry was already in bed under the covers. Without saying a word, Ginny crawled into bed and snuggled up beside him. Harry wrapped his arm around Ginny's waist and held her close.

"I hate this," he whispered.

"It'll all be over soon."

"It'll never be over as long as I'm Harry Potter, the bloody boy who lived."

"But soon we'll be able to be together in public; that'll make things easier."

"I hope so."

"Just get some sleep, Harry. There's nothing we can do about it right now."

"Good night, Gin."

"Night."

* * *

Ginny woke up the next morning to find Harry's room filled with bright sunlight. The spot next to her in bed was empty and she felt lonely the second she realized it. She sat up in bed and looked around the room for any sign of Harry. Ginny was disappointed to wake up alone, but she was sure that Harry had somewhere important he needed to be.

Ginny got out of bed and walked through the door that led to her room. She went into the bathroom and was instantly reminded of what had occurred in the room the night before. She felt her skin flush at the mere thought of it. She was about to get into the shower when she heard a knock on her door. Ginny made sure her dressing gown was tied securely before opening the door to her bedroom.

"Morning, Ginny," Michael said. His refusal to look her in the eyes told Ginny he hadn't forgotten about what he had walked in on the night before.

"Good morning. Did you need something?" Ginny was trying her hardest to keep her tone level and professional. The last thing she needed was to make things awkward with her guard.

"I was actually supposed to tell you that you're needed in the conference room."

"Let me get dressed and I'll be ready to go." Ginny closed the door to her room and quickly got dressed. She pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail and quickly splashed some water on her face so it wouldn't be as apparent that she had just woken up.

Ginny walked out into the hall where Michael was waiting for her. He followed her in silence down the hall and up the stairs to where the conference room was located. There were already two Aurors standing outside the door, looking very intimidating.

"Thanks, Michael. I'll see you when we finish," Ginny said as she pulled open the door.

Michael reached over her and pulled the door open wider. "Actually, I'm a part of this meeting as well."

"Oh." The first thing she noticed when she walked into the room was that Mr. Perry was glaring at her. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for whatever he was about to say. She took the empty seat next to Harry, while Michael sat down next to Tonks across the table.

"Good morning, Ginny," Tonks said politely.

"Morning."

"Well, there's no sense in beating around the bush," Mr. Perry said, his tone harsh. "I can't deny that I'm disappointed in you, Miss Weasley. I made it very clear what our rules were from the beginning."

"I know," Ginny admitted quietly.

"That's irrelevant now, though," Tonks spoke up, "we can't go back and change how Harry and Ginny feel about each other. The point is that this is now a Ministry sanctioned relationship, as well as a Ministry secret. You've both now signed confidentiality agreements, and we're all going to have to deal with this to the best of our abilities."

"I'll do whatever you need me to," Michael said. Harry glared at Michael at the comment, but Ginny stepped on his foot to try and prevent him from starting anything.

"Well, I think we've all agreed that Ron will take over most of Ginny's job responsibilities that can't be handled from the Ministry," Tonks added.

"Are you sure that's the best idea?" Ginny asked.

"Considering our options, Minister Bones and Mr. Perry both seem to think so," Tonks replied, but her doubt was obvious from the tone of her voice. "So all we need now is for Ginny and Harry to agree to the new terms that we're going to set." Tonks cast a nervous glance at Mr. Perry before setting her attention cautiously on Harry and Ginny. "Mr. Perry wants it known that you're not to act overly friendly outside of your own places of residence unless it is Ministry sanctioned time as long as you're both employed by the Ministry, and the Ministry wants to remind you that you're not to spend excess amounts of time together at said places of residence so you don't raise any suspicion."

"This is ridiculous!" Harry exclaimed. "You're treating our relationship as if it's a contract that has to be negotiated. We are people, you know; people with feelings."

"You should have thought about that before you broke the rules," Mr. Perry snapped. Ginny had never seen this side of Mr. Perry before, and she didn't think she liked it very much. It was becoming obvious to her that his top priority was to have a winning team, regardless of what he did to his players to get there.

"How's Dustin?" Ginny asked, hoping to shift the attention away from her relationship with Harry.

"There's been no change. The healers are now positive he was poisoned, but they can't pinpoint a source," Tonks replied.

"So what are you going to do about the team?" Ginny asked.

Mr. Perry let out a long sigh. "We're bringing in Steven from the reserves. He'll start practicing with the team after the brief vacation they're still getting."

"Well, at least the team has plenty of time off before their next match," Tonks pointed out.

"I'm afraid that no amount of time will be able to replace everything that Dustin brought to this team." Mr. Perry looked like he was going to be physically ill at the thought. Ginny couldn't help but roll her eyes. It was just a game; granted it was an important game, but it wasn't worth ruining your life over.

Ginny was surprised to hear the thought cross her mind. Here she was, letting a game dictate her life. When she was honest with herself, she knew it wasn't just about letting the game dictate her life, but about the fact that she was letting too many people have control over her life.

"I don't think the restrictions on Harry and myself should be so strict," Ginny said suddenly.

Harry reached over and reassuringly took her hand under the table. "I agree."

"You broke the rules! You don't get a say in how we deal with that," Mr. Perry replied sourly.

"What are you going to do? Kick me off the team?" Harry yelled, slamming his hands on the table. "Do you want to lose two of your star players before your second match?"

"You can't quit," Mr. Perry said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Harry snorted. "I'd like to see you make me try to play if I decide not to."

"You signed a contract!"

Ginny could see the anger in Harry's eyes. She looked down and noticed that the wood on the table under Harry's hands was starting to crack. She quickly placed her hand over his closest one and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "Calm down, Harry."

Harry retreated back into his seat and intertwined his fingers with Ginny's. His emotions seemed to disappear behind a veil on his face. Ginny was in awe at how fast he could go from furious to calm.

Harry's near outburst of magic wasn't lost on Tonks. She eyed them nervously. "I understand you don't like it, but don't you know it's for your own safety?"

"So then why can't I go see Harry during the afternoon, in the privacy of his flat?" Ginny challenged. "He lives alone, and if you're taking away most of my work responsibilities, why can't I see him during the day?"

"Well," Tonks said nervously, "what if we allow you to use your own judgment during Harry's time off, but you abide by our rules while he's got practice?"

"That will work," Ginny said.

"For now," Harry added, sending a silent challenge to anyone to disagree with him. Mr. Perry did not look pleased with this new agreement, but he made no move to argue with them.

"So what do you want from me?" Michael asked.

"I just need to make sure you know what Ginny's situation is," Tonks replied. "You need to be aware of the entire situation if you're serious about staying on as her guard. This is a bigger task than we'd normally give you, but you've proven yourself in your training and this weekend."

"I'm only supposed to be with her when she's out of one of the safe zones, correct?" Michael asked. Tonks nodded. "I think that I'm up to the task."

"Then we're done here," Tonks said, trying to smile through all of the obvious tension in the room. "If my calculations are correct, we should be about an hour away from the coast. I'm sure you've all got things you need to take care of before you leave. Harry, I'll go back with you to your room, if Ginny and Michael will wait a few minutes before returning."

Harry leaned over and kissed Ginny. "I'll see you in a minute."

Ginny smiled warmly. "See you."

When Ginny walked into her bedroom she could hear Harry talking to himself. She crossed through the open doorway and walked into his bedroom. He was pacing the floor around his bed, talking to himself about something Ginny couldn't comprehend.

"Should I leave you alone?" Ginny asked lightly.

Harry looked over at her, seemingly startled by her presence. "No, I was just trying to work something out in my head."

Ginny walked over and plopped down on his bed. "Anything I can help you with?"

"No, I need to figure this out on my own before I bring you into it."

Ginny felt slightly disheartened at his response, but she trusted his judgment. "Are you packed?"

"Never really unpacked."

"Me either."

Harry stopped his pacing and looked at her as if he were afraid she was going to start yelling at him. "I'm sorry I almost lost control again."

Ginny shook her head. "Don't be. Perry would have deserved it if you had blown up on him. He cares more about the team than the players on it."

"He just wants to win," Harry said with a sigh. "Before you came in Tonks was explaining everything to him, including how we believe that the attack on Dustin was meant for me. He wasn't very happy with me; he seems to blame me for the potential failure of his team. Actually, I think he was happy to have someone to blame."

"Did he not care that you were being threatened at all? How could it all be your fault?" Ginny exclaimed. "I have half a mind to just quit my job right now; I didn't sign a contract that said I couldn't!"

Harry shook his head. "I went over that with Tonks already. She seems to think it would draw too much attention to you, and that it would raise people's suspicions as to why you quit."

"What if I tell Ron today?" Ginny asked quietly.

"I don't think that would help much. People would still speculate why you left, and then you'd have the press all over you."

"Speaking of press…" Ginny got off the bed and walked into her room. She returned a few seconds later holding the issue of _Witch Weekly_ with Harry on the cover. She handed him the magazine. "You should probably read this."

Harry reluctantly took the magazine and sat down at the desk in the corner of the room. He read the article, snorting from time to time at its contents. When he finished with it, he threw the magazine in the air. Ginny thought she jumped ten feet into the air when the magazine exploded into millions of tiny pieces.

"Utter rubbish," Harry said, sounding completely disgusted. "But thank you for giving that to me; it was a wonderful way to get out some of the frustrations I've been feeling all day."

"I want Luna to write another article to counter that one; an article that actually tells a bit of truth about your life, past and present."

Harry looked at her very seriously. "Would it make you feel better?" Ginny nodded. "Then I'll do it. But I'd prefer not to until after the World Cup. I don't want to take any more attention away from the rest of the team than I already do."

"Then maybe you could even include that you were in a relationship, but that you wanted to keep it private," Ginny said hopefully.

"Are you kidding?" Harry asked, looking at her incredulously. Ginny felt insulted until she started to see the corners of Harry's mouth turn up in a smile. "When I finally get to be with you I'm going to announce it to the world!"

Ginny laughed. "What are you doing the rest of the day?" With everything that was going on, she wanted to spend as much time with Harry as she could.

Harry frowned. "Actually, I'm going to see Hermione's new flat and meet Lily," he said awkwardly. "I promised her I would the day I got back into the country. I would say you could come with me, but I don't think we should risk being together outside of a Ministry approved location."

"Well, obviously Hermione's going to want to see you as soon as you get back," Ginny said quickly. "This is a big time for her, and I'm sure she'll want to hear all about your match." Ginny forced a smile, but inside she was wondering how much longer she'd be second to Hermione on Harry's list of priorities.

"Well, I should be home by nine at the latest tonight, so you should probably come over around ten," Harry added.

"Not a problem. I'll spend some time with Dad today. I'm sure he's dying to know what happened with Dustin." Ginny walked over to Harry and kissed his cheek. "I'm going to go get my things together and try to organize what work I'll actually be able to do. I'll see you tonight."

"Bye, Gin."

"Bye, Harry."

* * *

Ginny arrived at the Burrow later that afternoon feeling thoroughly depressed. She had gone through her remaining responsibilities for her job and realized that the only things she would be allowed to do from now on were the most tedious and boring tasks of her job description. Even worse, Ron would be doing all of the hands-on work with the team that she had once done. They would be lucky if Ron and Harry didn't kill each other after one practice. It was going to be a long few weeks for all of them.

Ginny set her trunk down in the entryway of the Burrow and walked into the kitchen where she heard someone rustling around. She was surprised to see her father and Charlie both covered in what she could only guess was flour. Her father had a smudge of something brown on his forehead and Charlie had a white upside down handprint on his bum. The scene was too ridiculous looking for Ginny to even try to keep her laughter under control. They turned around at the sound of her laughter, both looking mortified to have been caught doing whatever it was they had been doing.

"Ginny, aren't you home early?" Arthur asked. "We didn't expect you for another few days."

"Haven't you heard?" Ginny asked. They both shook their heads no. "Oh my. Well I suggest you come to a stopping place with whatever you were doing and sit down."

When they were all seated at the table Ginny began to speak again. "One of our chasers, Dustin, fell ill and was rushed to St. Mungo's. Our vacation on the sea got called off and we rushed back."

"Is he okay?" Charlie asked.

"Well, they think he was poisoned," Ginny said slowly.

"That's terrible!" Arthur exclaimed.

Ginny sighed. "What's worse is that they think the poison was meant for Harry."

"Tonks is going to be working herself to the bone over this," Charlie said with a frown.

"She definitely wasn't happy about it. I can't believe Ron didn't tell you all of this."

"Well, he rushed off to the Ministry this morning and we haven't seen him since," Arthur explained.

"Probably because he's pretty much going to be taking over my job," Ginny said sullenly. "After the attack they decided that it was too risky for me to be out in public any more than I have to be. I actually have to have a guard anytime I'm not here, the Ministry, or at Harry's flat."

"And I'm sure Harry is under similar restrictions," Charlie added, sounding equally sullen. "I'll be lucky if I see Tonks again before the World Cup is over."

"Well, with Dustin out that may not be too much longer," Ginny replied.

"I was going to propose. Dad was trying to help me figure out a meal that I could cook for her so I could set the mood properly."

Ginny's heart went out to Charlie. "She'll still be here when this is all over. You may just have to put things on hold for awhile. You knew when you starting seeing her how important her job was."

"I know."

"Besides," Ginny said with a grin, "it looks like you'll need that much time to figure out how to properly prepare a meal! How did you survive living on your own for so long?" They all three began to laugh again as they survived the disaster area that was their kitchen. "Did you never eat?"

"I think Dad and I just tried something that was a bit over our heads today," Charlie replied through his laughter.

"Well, since I'm practically on house arrest I'd be more than happy to help you work something out."

"That'd be great," Charlie said, still smiling. "But for now I'd settle on having your help in cleaning this mess up."

They talked while they cleaned and ten minutes later the kitchen was close to being spotless. Ginny, Charlie, and Arthur decided to go to the sitting room and continue their conversation.

"So, Ginny, do you have any big plans for your birthday?" Arthur asked.

"I hadn't thought about it, honestly. It's been hard to think about that kind of thing without Mum, Bill, and Percy."

"I know what you mean," Charlie said.

"Well, we should at least get the family together for dinner," Arthur insisted. "Let me talk to Ron and the twins, and I'll work something out. Just keep the evening of your birthday free."

Ginny smiled. "I can do that."

"So how is Harry handling all of this?" Arthur asked,

"He has his ups and downs," Ginny replied honestly. "I just wish I knew exactly what was going on with him."

"He'll tell you when he's ready," Arthur assured her.

"Have you thought anymore about talking to Ron?" Charlie asked.

"Harry and I are trying to arrange a rendezvous between Ron and Hermione. I've already seen some signs that make me think Hermione is close to cracking. I'm hoping that maybe if she sees that Ron is moving on with his life she'll clear Harry's name."

"I don't understand why Hermione is the one holding all of the cards," Charlie mused. "Can't Ron and Harry just talk?"

Ginny sighed. "Harry's tried that. Ron was too stubborn to listen to him. Ron won't just believe that Harry and Hermione were never together without knowing some kind of real reason why Hermione broke up with him. Hermione's got her reason, but she feels like Ron wouldn't have let her go if he knew what her reason was."

"So this whole thing is Hermione's fault?" Charlie challenged.

"Well, I wouldn't say it's entirely her fault," Ginny said, surprised to find herself defending Hermione. "Ron's played his part in all of this as well."

"What did Ron do other than refuse to believe her?" Charlie asked.

"He sent back letters to Harry without opening them that explained things a bit better; letters that were not only addressed to him, but to me as well."

"Sounds like they've both made pretty big mistakes," Charlie said. "But you can't tell me that Harry is completely innocent in all of this."

"He's not, but I think he's more innocent than the other two," Ginny replied with a shrug. "I know he's suffered a lot because of it."

"Well, I think Ron has as well," Arthur pointed out.

"They're all too stubborn," Charlie added. "It sounds like Ron really jumped the gun with this one. I never knew Harry as well as the rest of you, so no longer considering him part of the family wasn't hard for me. I know Ron has been known to fly off the handle over something small, but it just seems odd that he would go to such an extreme without knowing all the details. I think there's probably more to this than you know."

Ginny could tell that her father was struggling to keep from revealing anything he wasn't supposed to. "You're probably right. But right now, all I know is that Ron is mad at Harry for stealing Hermione away from him, and Harry has never considered Hermione to be anything other than a sister."

"Just don't be too quick to judge Ron. He is our brother," Charlie said. He stood up from his seat. "I should be getting back to my flat incase Tonks decides she has time to see me tonight. I'll be by sometime soon for our cooking lessons."

"Bye Charlie." When he had left Ginny turned her attention to her father.

"So, do you think that Ron's more innocent than I do?" she questioned.

"I think that it's not my place to get in the middle of all of this," Arthur replied. "Are you going to see Harry tonight?"

"Around ten. He's with Hermione and Lily now," Ginny replied.

"Well, would you be open to eating with your old man tonight?"

"Of course." Ginny followed her father into the kitchen, all the while wondering what it was he knew that she didn't. By the time they had finished dinner and Arthur had retired to his room for the night, Ron still wasn't home.

* * *

Ginny arrived at Harry's flat at ten on the dot. He was waiting for her on his couch, reading a magazine. When he heard her arrive, he looked up from his reading and smiled at her. Ginny dropped her bag on the floor and sat down next to him on the couch.

"How's Hermione?" she asked.

"Well, she's worried sick about us, but she's ecstatic. Lily is adorable. She was very playful and looked to be very happy. You would never guess the kind of trauma she went through."

"Well, that's one benefit of being a baby," Ginny said quietly. "You don't have to remember what it's like to see or hear your parents die."

"That's not completely true," Harry replied, his voice sounding a bit choked up. "I can remember my mum screaming and I used to have dreams about the green light produced from the killing curse."

"Well, let's just hope that Lily doesn't have to go through anything like that," Ginny said, taking Harry's hand.

"I want to make sure I'm there for her if she does," Harry replied. "I know how horrible it was for me, so I want to make sure she has a support system."

"She does have Hermione," Ginny reminded him. "She knows what it's like to lose your parents as well." She could easily see Harry falling into playing the role of Lily's father, and she didn't think that would be the best for anyone involved. If Hermione didn't want Ron, but she still wanted a family, she would have to deal with what it was like to be a single parent. Lily needed to think of Harry as an uncle, just like Harry thought of Hermione as a sister.

"I know."

"It's been a long day, why don't we go to bed?"

Harry smiled at her. "Best idea I've heard all day."

* * *

A/N Okay, so I'm making a habit of being late. I still may take a break next week, but I'm almost done with chapter 24, and if I can finish 25 before Sunday I'll post the next chapter as soon as my beta can finish it. Let me say this though, 24 is a HUGE chapter. Keep an eye out for it; who knows when it'll come. You'll regret it if you miss it. (And now I have to go hide and hope that it's not going to let you all down!) 


	24. Birthday Presents

A/N I know you were all wondering what was going on with my alert! I updated and noticed that the alert didn't go out (I've had problems with the before with this story) so I removed the chapter and decided to try and update again later. Of course, a couple hours after I removed the chapter the alert did go out, but I'm putting it back up now, so hopefully no harm done. Enjoy!

* * *

Ginny sat at her vanity in her bedroom at the Burrow getting ready for her evening with Harry. It was the night before her birthday and she was getting ready for a private celebration with Harry after a very busy week. She was going stir crazy from practically being under house arrest, and her limited time with Harry was constantly being interrupted.

It seemed like every night when Ginny arrived in Harry's flat he was either out with Hermione or Hermione was there. The one night she arrived to find Harry by himself Hermione showed up in need of help in the middle of their dinner. Apparently being a mother wasn't coming as naturally to Hermione as she had assumed. At first, Harry didn't seem to mind her constant need of his help, but after a week of interruptions Ginny could sense he was starting to become annoyed as well.

Ginny was trying her hardest to understand that Hermione was in an adjustment period and that things wouldn't always be that way, but Hermione wasn't making it easy for her. It felt like for the first time Hermione really understood the life she had condemned herself to when she decided that Ron would be better off without her. Unfortunately, she also seemed to think that Harry would always be at her beck and call. Ginny was giving her a month to get her life in order before she said something to her about her dependency on Harry.

The good news was that Harry had assured her there would be no interruptions tonight. He said that he had tactfully informed Hermione that he had special plans for the evening for Ginny's birthday.

Ginny glanced down at her watch; she was supposed to apparate to Harry's flat in thirty minutes. He had sent her shopping to buy a nice dress; something special for her birthday. Fortunately, Tonks traded shifts with Michael so she could help her pick something out. Ginny couldn't imagine going shopping with her ex-boyfriend to buy a special outfit for dinner with her current boyfriend.

Things with Harry had been a little tense lately, and not just because of the Hermione situation. Harry wasn't thrilled with Michael being around Ginny all of the time, and being under constant guard himself was grating on his nerves. To top it off, Harry was upset because practices weren't going well. Steven had been brought in to replace Dustin, who was still unconscious, but they didn't seem to be clicking the way they had before the match with Japan. They had found out that their next match was to be against Austria, who pulled off the upset over a talented Mexican team. They were supposed to have one of the best seekers in the cup, and Harry could feel the pressure on his shoulders.

To make matters worse, the romance had seemed to evaporate out of their relationship. After being caught in such a compromising position by Michael, they were scared to let things get too heated. They knew that there was always an Auror lurking outside the flat and that Hermione would probably pop in without notice at some point during the night. Their nights in bed had literally turned into strictly being for Ministry purposes. With each day that passed Ginny looked forward to the World Cup being over more and more so her life could go back to normal.

Ginny glanced down at her watch again. Fifteen minutes. She opened her jewelry box and searched for her mother's old sapphire earrings. It was hard to believe that a month ago just looking at the earrings would have been too much for Ginny to handle without breaking down. She was proud of herself for how far she had come since she had left school. Of course, she had a complete breakdown to get there, but she was happy now. Or at least, she was on her way to being happy.

Ginny carefully fingered the bracelet on her wrist. It was her one constant connection with Harry until they could go public with their relationship. She had stopped using it to get to Harry when she knew he was supposed to be at his flat after several bad landings, but it was nice to know that they could get to each other if they needed to.

Going public with their relationship was still an issue for Ginny. She still had to tell Ron what was going on and get him to understand before she could even think about going to the public. With every day that passed her guilt from sneaking around increased; especially since Ron had taken over most of her workload without any real explanation why. Between work and Ron's dates with Padma, Ginny hardly ever saw him. It was hard to arrange for Ron to run into Hermione when Ginny never saw him herself. She just hoped that Hermione would come clean and Ron would apologize to Harry. At least she knew that they had the support of the rest of her family as soon as Ron knew the truth.

Ginny looked down at her watch again. It was finally late enough that she could leave for Harry's. She had started to leave some of her things at his flat so she wouldn't have to worry about bringing a bag every night, so all she had to do was say goodbye to her father and then she could leave. Ginny left her room and headed downstairs where she knew her father was reading the paper in the sitting room.

"I'm going over to Harry's, Dad," she said when she found him settled on the sofa.

"Alright. Have fun tonight, and don't forget about your plans with us tomorrow night," Arthur replied, looking at her over his paper.

"Are you sure you won't tell me what Ron has planned?" Ginny asked hopefully.

Arthur chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry, Ron's sworn me to secrecy. He decided he wanted to plan something, so I'm playing by his rules."

Ginny sighed. She had found it very out of character for Ron to want to plan a surprise for her birthday. She was more than a little nervous as to what he had up his sleeve, but she assured herself that he'd been far too busy lately to really get into too much trouble.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning. Night, Dad."

"Night, Ginny."

Ginny arrived in what she thought was supposed to be Harry's living room. She was surprised to see that the room had been transformed. There was a table off to one side, and the rest of the room had been made into a dance floor. There was a wonderful smell coming from the kitchen and soft music was playing in the background. Ginny couldn't help but smile; Harry had really gone all out for her birthday.

"Right on time." Ginny felt Harry's arms wrap around her waist from behind and she leaned back against him. "Happy Birthday."

"It's not my birthday yet," Ginny replied.

"Close enough. Are you hungry?"

"Famished."

"Good. I've been slaving away in the kitchen all afternoon and I'd hate to think it was for nothing," Harry replied teasingly.

"You sure are in a good mood," Ginny said, turning around so she could look at him. He looked very dapper in a black muggle suit.

Harry shrugged. "I've been looking forward to this for awhile. A night for just the two of us; no interruptions. I've threatened Tonks within an inch of her life if she finds some reason to come in here tonight."

"Good." Ginny was glad that their lack of alone time and privacy had apparently been bothering Harry as much as it had been bothering her. "So, what's for dinner?"

"Chicken and ham pie, although I dare say it isn't anywhere near as good as your mum's."

Ginny smiled. "I'm sure you did fine."

"Well, let me show you to your seat." Harry led Ginny over to the small table and pulled out her chair for her. He took the seat across from her and two steaming plates appeared on the table. "There was a trigger for the food on my chair," Harry explained.

"It looks delicious." Ginny picked up her silverware and began to eat her food. It touched her that Harry waited until after she had already started eating to start himself. They ate in silence for a few minutes before Harry spoke up.

"Practice is still going horribly."

"Any word on Dustin?"

"The healers say he's stable, but he's still showing no signs of waking up. I think that it's pretty safe to assume he's out for the rest of the cup."

Ginny sighed. "I hate that. I know Beth must be a wreck."

Harry let out bitter laugh. "I think Perry is taking it the worst. I can't believe I used to like that man."

"He's just very goal oriented… Not that I'm very fond of him anymore, either."

"Ron was at the manor today," Harry said nonchalantly. "I think he was torn between wanting to play with us and wanting to hex me."

"Hopefully he'll know the truth soon," Ginny said sympathetically. "I'm just interested to see what he has up his sleeve for my birthday."

"Probably going to try and brainwash you against me."

"Very funny. You should know by now that that can't be done. We're celebrating my birthday and I don't want to hear any more of that negative attitude tonight."

Harry set down his silverware and looked at her intensely. "Are you done eating?"

"Yes, it was very good."

Harry stood up from the table and walked over to Ginny's chair. "May I have this dance?" he asked as he extended his hand to her. Ginny nodded, feeling almost shy all of the sudden, and stood up from her chair. Harry led her out onto the dance floor and took her in his arms. They began to gently move with the music, simply enjoying being together. With the flat looking like a ballroom and the slow music playing, Ginny was able to forget about everything going on around them in the outside world.

"I want to give you the first part of your birthday present," Harry spoke up suddenly, never pausing from their dance.

"Just this right now is enough," Ginny replied softly.

"You've done so much for me that I wanted to do something nice for you. Unfortunately, since the press is all over me I couldn't really go shopping. So when the world cup is over, I'm going to take you to Paris so you can go shopping."

Ginny was so shocked she stopped dancing. "Harry, that's too much."

"It's nothing compared to what you do for me," he replied. "But that's only part of it."

Ginny shook her head. "I couldn't accept anything else."

"You can and you will. This second thing doesn't have any monetary value, but I think it's something you've wanted for a long time."

Ginny was racking her brain trying to figure out what he could be talking about when she heard an all too familiar pop behind her. She couldn't hold in her groan.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt," Hermione began, "but I'm worried about Lily."

Ginny turned around and looked at Hermione incredulously. She couldn't believe that Hermione had the nerve to interrupt them when Harry had talked to her about how special the evening was supposed to be. Before Ginny could say anything, though, Harry did.

"Hermione, is she breathing?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"Is she bleeding?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Was she well enough for you to leave her?"

"Well, Mrs. Hooper from next door is staying with her so I could come here…"

"Hermione, I am not a healer and I know next to nothing about babies. If she were under attack by Death Eaters, then by all means you should come to me for help. But you can't come here every time she cries or refuses to sleep. You have to figure out how to do this on your own. I can't always be there for you. You knew that tonight was important to me. I asked you not to come over unless it was an absolute emergency."

"You're right," Hermione said awkwardly. "I shouldn't have come. Sorry to intrude." Before Harry or Ginny could say anything else, Hermione disapparated.

Harry let out a long sigh. "I'm going to have to apologize to her later for being so harsh."

"Honestly, I think you let her off the hook," Ginny replied.

"She's going through a hard time right now," Harry said defensively.

Ginny saw her opportunity to go on the record about how she felt regarding the Hermione situation. "Well, I'm sorry if I don't feel too sympathetic. She made her own mess and now she has to deal with it. She could be raising Lily with Ron right now instead of by herself. She can't expect you to just fill in like you're her husband and Lily's father all of the time."

"I don't mind helping her," Harry insisted.

"I'm sure you don't," Ginny said with a shrug. "But she's taking advantage of you. She moved out on her own to start her own family, not so that she could have you come bail her out every time things got hard. If she's determined that she has to be alone due to that curse, she's going to have to accept the reality of that."

"It sounds like this is something you've thought about a lot."

"Well, I like to think of us having a family some day. I wouldn't like it if I were at home with a baby of our own and you kept getting called away to go be Lily's father." Ginny wasn't sure if she had crossed a line by admitting to Harry that she wanted to have a family with him, but she figured that at this point she might as well be honest about where her feelings were coming from.

"You think about us having kids?" Harry asked.

Ginny nodded. "Somewhere down the line if our lives ever settle down a bit."

"I do, too," Harry admitted. "Sometimes the thought of one day starting a family with you is what keeps me sane."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked.

Harry took a long breath. "I guess this is getting into the other part of your birthday present." He paused, leaving Ginny confused, but she knew the best thing to do was let him say what he wanted to say at his own pace. Harry waved his hand and his couch appeared in the middle of the dance floor. "We should probably sit down for this."

Ginny followed Harry over to the couch and sat down beside him. She noticed he looked nervous so she took one of his hands in her own for support. "Take your time."

"I guess it all goes back to the meeting I had with Lupin and Dumbledore; the meeting when they told me they heard Voldemort was planning to come after me either on my birthday or Halloween. It was that same meeting where Lupin convinced me that if I really liked you I should ask you out." A small smile crossed Harry's lips. "He told me I'd be a fool to let a wonderful girl like you slip through my fingers without even knowing how you felt."

"I always liked Lupin," Ginny said with a grin. She was trying to keep from getting her hopes up, but it sounded like Harry was finally going to tell her everything that was in his file.

"Dumbledore didn't feel like my Hogwarts education was going to be enough to face and defeat Voldemort. Sure, I'd had some extra training, but Voldemort was getting stronger all the time. Dumbledore said that the only way to learn some things was through time and life experience, but unfortunately time was not something we had much of. So Dumbledore suggested that we use a very old, rarely known spell that would increase my knowledge in a very short period of time. It was very dangerous, but I agreed. Lupin was against it, he thought that the possible consequences were too dangerous, but I trusted Dumbledore. Now I wish I had listened to Lupin." Ginny thought the last comment sounded like it was directed more towards himself than her.

When Harry didn't speak again Ginny tried to prompt him, "But the information on the timing of his big attack was wrong?"

"Apparently he purposely fed Snape some incorrect information so we would be lulled into a false sense of security. Lupin never trusted Snape; that was why he was so against basing all of our plans on Snape's information. It really was a good plan; we just didn't have enough time to execute it without invoking the negative consequences."

"Harry," Ginny said gently, "I know this is hard for you but you're still not really telling me anything." Harry turned to look her in the eyes and Ginny braced her self for whatever it was he was going to tell her.

"How were you in Herbology?" Needless to say, Ginny was a bit disappointed and frustrated by his question.

"I was fine," she replied, her voice revealing her annoyance.

"Well, one of the most important things you have to know in Herbology is that it takes time and care for a plant to grow and develop. You can't just plant a seed and then leave it alone and still expect it flourish. You have to tend to it, work with it; hell, with some magical plants you actually have to spend time with it."

"I did take the class, Harry," Ginny said tensely, having no idea where he was going with his ramblings.

"I'm sorry, I bet you can't see where I'm going with this at all," Harry replied, letting out a nervous chuckle.

"No, I can't," Ginny said. She was trying her hardest to smile, but knowing that the truth of what was going on with Harry was finally being revealed she found her patience wavering.

"The problem with the spell Dumbledore suggested was that it required a period of time that stretched from three to four months to develop properly without possibly putting a serious kink in my magic."

The reference to Herbology suddenly clicked in Ginny's head. "You needed time to take care of it like a plant."

Harry smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! We didn't have the time to develop it properly, so while my magical abilities increased, I also lost a great deal of control over them. If I ever lose control of my emotions, my magic is likely to respond on its own."

"Like at the party."

"Right. It can be dangerous if I get too worked up over something stupid."

"Has it ever been affected by anything other than anger?" Ginny asked.

"A few times right at first, but those emotions tend to be easier to control," Harry explained. "Actually, at first we didn't think that anything was wrong at all. My knowledge had increased and there were no visible side effects. We thought that all of the rumors about the side effects weren't true."

"Rumors?"

"Well, the spell isn't actually written down in any text. It's just passed down from great wizard to great wizard. I probably shouldn't have even known of its existence, much less had it performed on me. It hasn't actually been performed in several generations, but Dumbledore felt that most wizards hadn't had to face their enemy so young in life. I think that's where the biggest problem came from; Dumbledore underestimated me. He thought that I was too young to handle what I was destined to do so he wanted to give me the benefits of all his knowledge."

"He cared too much about you," Ginny said softly.

"It got him killed."

"Harry, let's not go into that again tonight. Everyone who was involved in the war knew what they were getting themselves into."

Harry closed his eyes briefly. "I've learned how to meditate. Every time I feel my emotions starting to get the best of me I have to think of a place where I'd be happy and relaxed. That's what I meant earlier when I said that you've kept me sane. I've always imagined that we were together, with your entire family's blessing, living a quiet, peaceful life somewhere. That's my happy place, as corny as it sounds."

"Oh, Harry," Ginny said. She kissed him softly. She couldn't believe that Harry thought things like that. Just hearing that was worth all of the time she waited to find out what was going on.

Harry smiled at her as she pulled back from him. "Don't distract me with that just yet. I've not finished the explanation." Ginny grinned sheepishly and nodded. "The first I realized things were wrong was when I started drinking too much. I had spent most of my time before that out of the hospital, and I hadn't been allowed to use my magic, so I hadn't noticed the problem. I'd wake up in the morning to utter chaos, and I'm not just talking about destroying my bedroom. I'd talk to the bartenders and find out that I'd gotten in a fight and sent guys to the hospital. I was a walking disaster and I didn't know I was doing any of it."

"That's terrible!"

"I know; that's when I went to Tonks, or better yet, when Tonks came to me. She convinced me that I needed help."

"And that's when the Ministry got involved," Ginny commented.

"Right. When Minister Bones found out what Dumbledore had done, she was livid. She felt that the use of that kind of spell should only be done under Ministry approval. Actually, I'm lucky it was her in charge. Most other people would have tried to use me to their advantage instead of trying to find help for me and keeping things under the utmost security."

"Harry, not to rush you or anything, but you haven't actually told me what the spell did yet," Ginny said hesitantly.

"That's actually one of the simplest things to explain," Harry said with a shrug. "When I said that Dumbledore wanted to give me the benefits of all his knowledge, I meant that quite literally. The spell is called the Mentoring Charm. It was developed when great wizards used to take on apprentices. One of them decided he was far too important to waste his time spending years training someone, so he developed a charm that would act like a short cut. He became very popular and passed down his knowledge to many young wizards."

"But you said the charm wasn't well-known. It sounds like it was used a lot."

"It was, before they first started noticing that if the charm wasn't given adequate time to develop there were nasty side effects. The wizard who was performing the charm started doing it so often he wasn't spending enough time with the apprentices. The apprentices started losing control of their magic. Some of them even accidentally killed themselves while trying to perform a simple spell. Of course, there were the few occurrences when it actually still increased their ability, but they still lost control."

"Why would Dumbledore want to do something that could be so dangerous to you?" Ginny asked, shocked that it would have even been considered.

Harry sighed. "We thought we had time. Dumbledore trusted Snape's information and he thought that we had enough time."

"So what did it actually do?" Ginny asked again.

"It was like it took all of Dumbledore's knowledge and enclosed it in a little seed. The seed was then planted in my mind." Ginny's jaw dropped. "It was like I had lived a lifetime I couldn't remember. That's why the training process was so important; I needed the person whose knowledge it was to pull it to the front of my mind."

Ginny was having a hard time grasping what Harry was telling her. "So you have all of Dumbledore's knowledge just floating around in your head somewhere?"

"Something like that. The things that I was able to work through with Dumbledore are just like everything else that I know now, but the things that we didn't work through are just jumbled up in my mind. Sometimes I'll have these random facts pop up in my head and I'll have no idea where they came from. Sometimes I'll go to perform a simple spell and I won't be able to. Simply put, I've lost control over my magic. I can try to do a cheering charm and end up putting a hole in the wall. I've been working with the Ministry so I have better control now, but sometimes if I let my body get too worked up I lose control again."

"Like when you're dreaming."

"Well, we actually think that some of my more violent dreams are actually Dumbledore's knowledge trying to fight its way out. They think that's why I have such a strong reaction when I'm drunk; I don't have control over my body and this knowledge that I don't actually have a grasp on is able to control me."

Ginny was left speechless. She didn't know what she had been expecting, but this definitely wasn't it. "Wait," Ginny said suddenly, "So does this mean you have all of Dumbledore's memories as well?"

Harry shook his head. "The person who performs the charm gets to chose what they want included in the seed."

"Oh." Ginny reached over and gently brushed her hand against Harry's cheek. "But at least it wasn't all for nothing. You were able to defeat Voldemort."

Harry let out a bitter chuckle. "Actually, the only thing the charm did was help me fight longer in the attack on Hogsmeade. When it came down to just him and me, I didn't end up using anything I learned from Dumbledore. It all came down to what was in me; it came down to what was in my heart."

Ginny didn't know how to respond to that. Harry had been put through so much in his life, and now he had lost control of his magic without any real gain? It wasn't fair. "I still don't understand why the need for such tight security," she said finally.

"Do you think people would take well to the fact that I have some of Dumbledore's greatest secrets locked away inside my mind? If they want me to just fix all of their problems now, what do you think they'd do if they found out about this? And my enemies? They would do anything possible to get the secret of the spell out of me, because I'm the only wizard still living who knows how it works. Not to mention they'd probably try to get all of Dumbledore's knowledge out of me, most likely turning my mind to mush in the process."

"But if no one even knows about the spell, how would they know about any of this?"

Harry let out a long sigh. "The spell required two people to oversee its performance. The people performing and receiving the spell were the only two people who left with knowledge of how it worked, but there had to be two people there to keep a watch on both participants the whole time the spell was being performed. Lupin watched over me…"

"Snape," Ginny cut Harry off. "Snape was the other person there. He was the second witness, the one who watched over Dumbledore." Harry nodded sadly. "And he betrayed you?"

"We don't know for sure. Dumbledore trusted him, and Snape said he didn't. But somehow Voldemort knew what we had done. He actually tried to possess me again to figure out the secret to how we had done it."

"Oh my," Ginny said, collapsing back into the couch. "So anyone could know. Voldemort could have told any of his Death Eaters."

"We just don't know."

"So, for the record, you weren't having any problems until after Dumbledore died?"

Harry nodded. "Things were going brilliantly until the attack on Hogsmeade. I think I started having some side effects after the battle, but I didn't realize it at the time. Dumbledore was just impressed that I had been able to pull forward some of his knowledge that we hadn't gone over yet. We didn't realize that it was a bad thing."

"But just now you conjured this couch out of thin air without a wand," Ginny pointed out.

"Conjuring is one of the things I've been good at since it all happened. I think it's because I went through it with Dumbledore right after we performed the spell just to make sure everything was still functioning properly. In doing so we cemented its place in my mind, keeping it separate from all of his knowledge. Unlocking spells, on the other hand, are something I didn't try again until after Dumbledore had died; sent the door flying into me and knocked me down a flight of stairs."

Ginny's mind went back to when she and Harry had been locked together in his bathroom. "It just seems so funny to think that you can't just do everyday spells anymore."

"Tell me about it," Harry replied. "It's a good thing I was raised as a muggle. Otherwise, I'd be struggling to live right now. That's one of the reasons I live in a muggle neighborhood."

"So, this is what's in your file that you couldn't tell me about," Ginny mused, leaning against Harry. She was fighting the urge to freak out over this bit of knowledge, but she knew it was taking a lot out of Harry to tell her and she didn't think he would appreciate her freaking out very much.

"Yeah, this is my big secret. I got those letters back from you and Ron right at my lowest point. I cracked. I knew I needed to get myself together before I could ever expect to face either one of you again. Tonks took me to the Ministry, and everyone decided that playing Quidditch would be my best choice. It took a lot of work, but I finally got myself functioning on a somewhat normal scale again. If it hadn't been for Tonks and Hermione, I don't know what I would have done."

"Which is why you feel like you have to help Hermione every time she asks," Ginny said gently. "You think you owe her."

"Well, I do."

"But Harry, things would be so different if she had just told Ron the truth. Obviously you had your own problems to deal with at the time."

"She had a lot to deal with, too."

"Harry, you keep taking up for her! We all had a lot to deal with! Do you think it was harder for her to lose her parents than it was for us to lose Mum, Bill, and Percy? Does she deserve special treatment forever because she was hit with a terrible curse? At least she got to live!" Ginny knew she was crying now, but she couldn't stop her tears.

Harry pulled her close in his arms and rubbed her back. "I'm sorry; I know she wasn't the only one to go through a hard time. But she was like me; neither one of us had a family to turn to."

"We were your family, Harry! Hermione was the one that took that away from you!"

"Ginny, you have to accept that Ron is just as guilty as Hermione," Harry said gently.

Ginny brought a hand up to wipe her face. "I know he is."

"She still loves him."

"He's fighting loving her with all his might. I'm not going to push it beyond just getting them talking again, though; he seems happy now with Padma."

"Hermione's going to have to accept the consequences of her actions."

"I thought they would be together forever," Ginny admitted.

"So did I, Gin. So did I."

Ginny leaned over and kissed Harry softly. "Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me this."

"Thank you for putting up with me." Harry was looking deep into Ginny's eyes, as if he were searching for something. "Ginny, I… well, I mean, I just wanted to tell you that…" Harry's voice trailed off and he took a visible gulp of air. "I, um, I want a cup of tea," he finished very quickly. Harry jumped up from the couch, leaving a stunned Ginny behind him.

"Was he just about to say what I think he was going to say?" Ginny asked herself, still in shock. Still in shock, she stood up from the couch and began to follow Harry's path to the kitchen. She was halfway there where Harry appeared back out of the kitchen. He had a determined look on his face as he strode over to where Ginny now was frozen in place. He grabbed her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. There was something there in that endless pool of green Ginny had never seen before.

"Ginny Weasley, I love you," Harry said before crushing his lips against hers. Ginny could barely respond to his kiss, she was so surprised. She felt him lower his hands to her waist, but before he could pull her close she pulled away from him. Harry's cheeks immediately turned bright red and he dropped his gaze to the floor.

"What did you think you were doing?" Ginny asked, trying to keep the amusement out of her voice.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't hold it in any longer," Harry replied dejectedly. "I understand if you don't feel the same way."

Ginny took Harry's face in her hands and pulled his gaze back to her face. "I meant, what did you think you were doing, telling me you love me and then kissing me before I could tell you that I love you?"

Something sparked in Harry's eyes. "What?"

"I love you, you big oaf!" Ginny said, laughing. A wide grin broke across Harry's face and he picked Ginny up off the floor and began to spin around in circles. He finally put her down and started to kiss her again.

"I never thought I'd actually live to hear you say that to me," Harry said in between kisses.

"I never thought I'd live to hear you say it, either," Ginny replied with a giggle. Suddenly, all of her problems didn't seem to matter much. Harry loved her. Harry loved her!

Ginny felt as light as the air. She felt like she could fly as long as Harry never stopped kissing her. She felt like his hands were everywhere all at once. Just the feel of his skin against hers was enough to send her into ecstasy. Ginny suddenly realized that there was a breeze in the room and she was feeling oddly exposed.

"Oh shit," Harry muttered, pulling away from her. "I am so sorry." Ginny's face was bright pink. She was standing in the middle of Harry's living room wearing nothing but her bra, knickers, and high heeled shoes. She quickly brought her arms up to try to cover herself as Harry turned around so his back was to her.

"Where did my dress go?" Ginny asked as she searched the room for something to cover herself with.

"I think I accidentally banished it," Harry admitted.

Ginny couldn't help but laugh at the situation. "Well, if you hadn't paid for it I would be very mad at you for losing my new dress."

Harry joined in her laughter. "I guess I've found another emotion that's as hard to control as anger."

"Love," Ginny said softly. "I have to say I like this one more than anger. Now be a good boy and stay there while I go change my clothes." Ginny giggled again as she hurried to Harry's bedroom where her things were stored. She was having an internal debate as to whether she had overreacted or under reacted to Harry banishing her dress. On the one hand, it definitely showed how much Harry loved her to have that kind of a reaction, but on the other side, she was definitely still not quite ready to move to that step in their relationship. She may have loved Harry for most of her life, but she was still very inexperienced and didn't feel the need to rush things. She was actually really enjoying their current pace.

Ginny changed into an old, oversized t-shirt and a pair of cotton shorts and walked back out into the hall. She could see that Harry had changed the room back into its original state. He was sitting on the couch, staring at a painting on the wall.

"Now, that had to have been a lot of magic you used to change this room," Ginny commented, sitting down beside him.

"Well, Tonks helped me set it up. All I actually had to do was cancel the spells that she used. Not that big of a deal." Harry paused and took her hand. "I really am sorry about your dress. I know we agreed to slow things down a bit."

Ginny smiled at him warmly. "Don't worry about it. If banishing my dress means you love me, all you have to worry about is replacing my wardrobe. I don't think anything could bring me down right now."

"I do love you. I don't think I ever stopped. I just tried to push it away because I thought I had lost my only chance with you."

"I never stopped loving you, either. I think it just became clouded by my anger."

"This just feels so right," Harry said. "I wish I hadn't been too scared and stupid to figure this out sooner. What kind of an idiot doesn't realize he's in love with his best friend until after she stops speaking to him?"

"You considered me your best friend?" Ginny asked. To her, that was big news. She never knew he considered her to be his closest friend over Ron and Hermione.

"Well, yeah," Harry said with a shrug. "I mean, Ron and Hermione were so wrapped up in each other, trying to figure out their relationship, that I really began to depend on you. I started to realize I preferred your company over theirs. I just didn't realize why until later. They were always there for me, but you were there for me in a completely different way."

"That means a lot to me."

"Would you rather I told you that you were my best friend tonight instead of that I loved you?" Harry asked teasingly.

"I'm glad you told me both," Ginny replied with a chuckle. "Now, let's go to bed. I'm tired."

"Are you sure you're ready for bed?" Harry asked, pulling her close.

Ginny felt a shiver go down her spine. "Well, when you put it that way…"

It was over an hour later that they finally made it to bed. Ginny drifted off to sleep that night with images of Harry and little raven haired children dancing through her head.

* * *

A/N Okay I wasn't going to update this week, but then I realized that next week was Easter so it'd make more sense to take next week off. So I'm officially not posting next week. I haven't gotten any writing done this week due to school and a little thing I call March Madness. I live in the middle of basketball country, and it's been a fun week.

I hope you all liked the big reveal. It definitely took a lot out of me to write. A big thank you to my beta for the excellent work on this chapter, like all others, and to Dennis for always being my sounding board. Thank you for all of your reviews, we're getting closer to the end, but don't worry, we're definitely not there yet!


	25. Ginny's Party

A/N I feel like I'm always apologizing for being late, but here I go once again. Sorry guys! Next chapter is with beta, so hopefully everything will go as planned and I'll be on time next week!

* * *

Ginny woke up the morning of her birthday alone in bed. She had become so used to waking up feeling safe in Harry's arms that she felt oddly exposed. She hadn't realized how dependent she was becoming on him. It was almost scary.

Ginny felt like there was lead settled in the pit of her stomach when she anticipated what Ron had planned for her birthday celebration that night. She would like nothing more than to just eat dinner with her family and Harry, at the same time, and then just sit around and talk like the old days. But Ginny knew that wasn't in the cards; at least not this year.

"Happy Birthday," Harry said, walking back into the room.

Ginny sat up in bed and smiled. "Thank you. Where have you been?"

Harry sat down on the bed beside her and kissed her forehead. "Seeing what I had in the kitchen to fix for you for breakfast."

"It's a lovely sentiment, but you know I don't have time to eat. Besides, it'd probably look suspicious to Ron if I didn't eat breakfast at the Burrow." Ginny pushed back the covers and looked in surprise at her completely bare legs. "Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Didn't I wear a pair of shorts to bed last night?"

Harry looked at her puzzled. "I don't know. I know you put on a t-shirt and shorts after the incident with your dress, but I don't remember if you kept them on when we got in bed. I was pretty tired after we, um, spent so long on the couch."

Ginny blushed slightly. "I'm almost positive I wore them to bed as well. This isn't a long enough shirt for me to wear by itself."

"I kind of like you in that shirt by itself," Harry said as he gazed at her legs appreciatively.

Ginny slapped his arm playfully. "That's not the issue! Do you think you had an incident similar to the dress incident while you were sleeping?"

"I don't know," Harry said slowly. "I don't think I've ever had something this nice happen in my sleep before."

"Well, things were pretty intense between us last night," Ginny pointed out.

"But we just slept in here," Harry pointed out. "We left the intense stuff on the couch."

"Harry, we told each other I love you for the first time," Ginny said softly. "You don't get much more intense than that."

Ginny shivered as Harry slowly ran a hand up the outside of one of her bare legs. "I do love you."

Ginny felt like her heart was going to burst from being so happy. "I love you, too." She leaned over and kissed Harry, pulling away before she could lose track of time. "I really do have to go."

"What's the verdict on your shorts?"

"I think that they are now resting in the same place as my new dress. You'll just have to try and make sure your mind is clear before we go to bed."

Harry snorted. "Not bloody likely! You think I'll be able to clear my mind when you're lying in bed next to me?"

Ginny laughed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before getting out of bed. She began to walk towards the bathroom, swinging her hips for Harry's benefit. "You're just going to have to try harder. I can't have you banishing my clothes all the time! I'll go broke!"

"Merlin, I love you."

Ginny blew Harry a kiss before shutting the bathroom door behind her. She giggled to herself and sat down on the edge of the tub. She could still barely believe that Harry had admitted that he loved her. She brought her hands up to her face and shook her head. She just knew that if Harry Potter could admit he loved someone then Ron could at least try to forgive him, and then they could all start to make up on lost time.

Ginny had stood up and begun to brush her teeth when the bathroom door opened and Harry walked in. He stood behind her at the sink and wrapped his arms around her waist. Ginny felt his hot breath on her neck and she tried her hardest to focus on the simple task of brushing her teeth.

"I've been thinking about it, and I want to come to your birthday thing tonight," Harry whispered in her ear.

"What!" Ginny exclaimed, spitting the contents in her mouth into the sink. "Do you have a death wish?"

"No. I promise I'll stay under the invisibility cloak the whole time… No one will even know I'm there."

"Are you insane?"

"I just don't trust Ron right now. From what you've told me, he really wants to set you up with someone."

Ginny's eyebrows shot up. "Do you not trust me?"

Harry laughed. "No, I want to see firsthand what hex you'll use on Ron when he tries."

"I don't think he'll pull anything tonight. It is, after all, my birthday."

"But you know Ron, he's stubborn. If he thinks you and I are getting too close, he'll try hard to set you up with someone else to knock me out of the picture."

Ginny looked at Harry in disbelief in the mirror. "That's a pretty astute observation."

Harry shrugged. "It's the Dumbledore in me. I tend to have a better understanding of things faster now. Things that I wouldn't have even thought about before have like, five meanings now." Harry turned Ginny around so she was looking him in the eyes. "So, what's the verdict?"

"What are my options?"

"Well, you either arrange a time for me to meet you, or I just show up and you'll have no idea whether I'm there or not," Harry replied grinning.

Ginny groaned. "I'm going to regret this later. Meet me tonight at 6:30. I'll make sure I'm alone in my bedroom."

"Deal!"

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I actually do have to get back to the Burrow before Ron realizes I'm gone."

"Is that all you're wearing?"

"I'm just going back to my bedroom, Harry. I'll change there. I have a feeling I'm going to regret this, but I'll see you at six thirty tonight."

Harry was smiling like Christmas had come early. "You won't regret this. Bye, Gin. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Ginny apparated back into her bedroom and collapsed onto her bed. She knew that letting Harry come to her birthday celebration was a bad idea, but she didn't think she'd ever be able to refuse him anything. She had waited so long to hear him say that he loved her that she didn't think anything could ruin her day. She just didn't know how she was going to make it until six thirty.

* * *

Ginny stood in her bedroom, nervously pacing the floor while fingering the bracelet on her wrist. It was almost six thirty and Harry was due to arrive at any second. She hadn't realized how crucial his timing would be that morning when they made the plans. Ron had just informed her that they were going to leave the Burrow at six forty, so if Harry was late he'd get left behind. Although, Ginny still hadn't decided whether or not she thought that would be a good thing.

There was a crash behind her and Ginny quickly turned around. "Harry!"

Harry was sprawled out on the floor, half underneath her vanity. "Not my most graceful landing," he mumbled.

"Shh!" Ginny hissed. "Ron is right downstairs!"

"So, do you know what the big plans are for tonight, yet?" Harry asked, pulling himself up from the floor. "Blind date?"

Ginny scowled. "All I know is that we're walking to a restaurant in town in about ten minutes. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Harry pulled out his invisibility cloak and put it on so only his head was showing. "Positive."

"Why?"

Ginny expected Harry to reply with the same cheeky attitude he'd had all day, so she was surprised when she saw genuine sadness in his eyes. "Honestly? I just want to be a part of your family again for one night, even if they don't know I'm there."

Ginny walked over to Harry and wrapped her arms around what she assumed was his waist. "Things will be easier on us one day. I promise."

Harry leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Now let's go see what your big brother has planned for your birthday."

Ginny smiled as she watched Harry's head disappear. She walked out of her bedroom and down the stairs, trying to make her steps as loud as possible so no one would hear Harry walking behind her.

"Happy birthday, Gin Gin!" Fred said as Ginny appeared in the kitchen.

"You're getting on up there," George added.

"Thanks, Fred, George."

"You ready for your big party?"

"Big party?" Ginny asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Whoops."

"You really let the cat out of the bag there, Fred," George said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Ginny was about to question them farther when Ron and Charlie walked into the kitchen with their father. "Are you ready to go, Ginny?" Ron asked.

"I think so, considering I don't really know what's going on."

"It's just a ten minute walk to where Padma and the others are waiting for us."

"Padma and the others?" Ginny questioned as she followed Ron out the front door.

"I guess there's no use in hiding from you now," Ron said with a grin. "Padma and I thought that you'd enjoy seeing some of our old school friends, so we rented out the back room at the tavern."

"That sounds great!" Ginny was genuinely excited. Ron's plan actually coincided with something she had wanted to do: get in touch with her other friends again. She wondered who would be there as her brothers chatted around her during the short walk to the tavern. They reached their destination and Ginny was about to enter the restaurant when George pulled her aside.

"Ginny, I have a favor to ask of you," he said quietly.

George looked so tense that Ginny was genuinely concerned for him. "Anything."

George looked around to see if anyone was listening to them as he wrung his hands nervously. "Well, I have a small, well actually a big, announcement to make, and it never seems like it's the right time. We're never all together and when we are it's normally for a funeral or something else equally morbid…"

"Not really the time for announcements," Ginny supplied, trying to make things easier for him.

"Right. And now today, everybody's here and happy, and while I hate to take away from your birthday I don't think I can wait any longer."

Ginny smiled. "Go ahead whenever you feel like its right. I'm just happy that everyone's here."

George pulled Ginny into a hug, nearly squeezing the breath out of her. "Thank you so much! Now let's get you into your party."

Ginny followed George into the party, and after he gave her a quick squeeze on her shoulder he went off to find Katie.

"Everybody, Ginny's here!" Ron called as soon as he spotted her.

"Happy Birthday, Ginny!"

Ginny blushed at all of the attention she was receiving. She had spent so much time the past year trying to blend in to the background that it felt nice to stand out for a change. She looked around the room and noticed Fred, George, Angelina, Katie, Charlie, and Tonks standing at the bar. MJ, Tank and Jeff were seated at a table with her father near the front of the restaurant, and Dean, Lavender, Padma, and Ron were seated at the next one. Luna was standing with Colin Creevey and Zacharias Smith. Neville Longbottom was standing close with Hannah Abbot in one of the corners of the room, and two of Ginny's old roommates, Angela and Karen, were talking with Michael Corner. Seeing so many of her old classmates in the same room was overwhelming for Ginny; not only did it remind her of all the fun they had in school, it also reminded her of how many of their classmates had died.

"Thank you all for coming!" Ginny said when she realized everyone in the room was still looking at her. "I'm sure I'll get to talk to all of you tonight, so I guess everyone just enjoy yourselves and we'll all have a great time!" There were several calls of agreement and the room seemed to move back into action.

Ginny walked over to where Ron was sitting, figuring she should thank him for planning everything before she started mingling. The conversation going on at the table stopped as Ginny took the empty seat next to Dean. "Hi guys."

"Happy Birthday, luv," Dean said, squeezing her thigh under the table.

Ginny tried to discreetly pull Dean's hand off her lap. "Thanks. And thank you, Ron, for doing all of this. It's great!"

Ron grinned. "It was nothing. Besides, Padma here really helped me out." He leaned over and kissed Padma's cheek. Ginny fought to urge to roll her eyes.

"It was nothing," Padma added, taking Ron's hand that was resting on the table. "I love planning this kind of thing. I just hope we didn't leave anyone off the guest list… a boyfriend, perhaps?"

Ginny quickly shook her head and thought of Harry somewhere in the room under his invisibility cloak. "No, I think everyone important is here. How've you been, Lavender?" she asked, tactfully changing the subject.

"Good," she replied with a flip of her hair. "I'm managing Madam Puddifoots, and hopefully she'll sell it to me when she retires in a few years." Lavender quickly glanced over to where the Quidditch players were sitting. "But right now I think I'm going to try and get to know my English National Team better." Lavender excused herself from the table and sauntered over to the next table.

"Luv, you should be dancing on your birthday," Dean said, pulling her up from the table.

"I really should be talking to all my guests," Ginny insisted.

"Nonsense, they just want you to have fun." Just as Dean was trying to wrap his arms around her waist, Ginny heard a loud ripping sound.

"What was that?" she asked.

Dean looked angry enough to kill. "I think someone sent a slashing charm to my pants," he hissed, looking around the room for someone to blame.

"That doesn't sound very likely," Ginny said reasonably.

"Then why did my pants just split?"

"I don't know!" Ginny exclaimed, as Dean turned around to show her the damage. "But you might want to go do something about it," she finished, trying hard not to laugh. Dean stormed away and Ginny looked around the room curiously. "Thanks, Harry," she whispered. Ginny felt someone blow in her ear and she smiled. "This actually may be fun."

"Gin-Gin, are you talking to yourself again?" Fred asked, walking over to her.

"Apparently," she replied with a shrug. "Why aren't you with Angelina?"

"She's talking with MJ." Fred pointed over his shoulder where Angelina was standing with MJ and Lavender. "Can I ask you something?" he asked seriously.

"Why, do you have an announcement, too?" Ginny asked laughing.

"Actually, I wanted a female perspective on something."

"Shoot."

"Is it possible to discover that even though you've been with someone for a long time you're just better off as friends?" he asked nervously.

"It's very possible… Do you think she feels the same way?" Ginny asked quietly.

"I don't know. I mean, she's still my best friend, besides George of course, but I think the spark we once had is gone. All I see her as now is a friend."

"Well then you should probably be talking to her about this, not me. Although, I'm very glad you did come to me. It's nice to share things like this again."

Fred grinned evilly. "If you think this was good, wait until George makes his announcement."

"Can't wait."

"Happy birthday, Ginny," a falsely sweet voice said, while a hand tapped her on the shoulder.

Ginny turned around to be face to face with her old roommates, Karen and Angela. She never actually got along with them; in fact, she thought they hated her, but she assumed Ron and Padma wouldn't have known that when they were sending out the invitations.

"Thank you, and thank you both for coming," she replied, sounding equally sweet.

"We couldn't turn down an invitation to a party thrown by Padma Patil!" Karen answered excitedly. "She works for the Prophet; it'll probably have a write up in the society page!"

"Oh, goody," Ginny said, unable to keep the bitter tone out of her voice. She ran a hand through her hair and tried to figure out the fastest way to excuse herself from the publicity seeking girls.

"Harry Potter isn't coming, is he?" Angela asked. "I know you work with him, and you two used to be inseparable."

"I don't think so." Ginny's eyes shot to where she knew Harry had been standing a few minutes earlier. As if on cue, Neville, who had been walking right behind them, tripped over his own two feet and spilled the two very large mugs of Butterbeer he was carrying all down Angela and Karen's backs.

Neville's eyes widened in horror. "I am so, so sorry."

"You clumsy, blubbering idiot!" Karen yelled.

"Please don't speak to my friend that way!" Ginny yelled back. "It was an accident!"

Angela glared at Ginny. "Let's go try to clean ourselves up." They stalked away, leaving Ginny standing with Neville.

"I really didn't mean to," he insisted.

Ginny laughed. "Don't worry about it; I never did like them. How are you doing?"

"Brilliant, actually. I'm working with Professor Sprout at Hogwarts right now."

"Did I see you talking to Hannah, earlier?"

Neville blushed. "We've been together for almost six months now."

Ginny beamed at him. "That's wonderful!"

Neville smiled at her. "I think it is. You know, it is strange without Harry being here. It feels like we're not whole… Maybe I'm just being silly."

Ginny put her hand on Neville's shoulder. "It doesn't sound silly at all," she replied softly. "You should probably get new drinks and get back to Hannah. It was good talking to you, Neville."

"You, too. And happy birthday, Ginny."

Ginny smiled as she watched Neville walk back to the bar. She hoped that one day she and Harry would look as happy as Neville and Hannah.

"One day," she heard a familiar voice whisper in her ear.

Ginny smiled in the direction the voice came from. "I hope so."

"Happy birthday, wee one!"

"Hi MJ, Tank, Jeff," Ginny said, turning around to face the team members. "Have you all been having a good time?"

"Oh yeah, I got your giggly friend's fire place address," MJ replied, grinning.

"She's more Padma's friend than mine," Ginny said laughing. "But she is pretty sweet."

"Sweet enough to put her cleavage in MJ's face," Tank snorted.

"We've missed you," Jeff interrupted, obviously trying to change the subject. "Do you have any idea why they reassigned you this late in the game?"

Ginny shrugged and tried her best to feign innocence. "I think they felt more comfortable keeping me in the office since the attack on Dustin. I know it sounds very old fashioned, but what am I going to do about it? I trust Ron to get the job done."

"He's not nearly as nice to look at," Tank said.

"I should think not! I do wish the whole team was here, though." Ginny noticed that they all looked at their feet uncomfortably. "What? Did the others think they were too good to come to my birthday party or something?"

"It's just that Ron invited us and made us promise not to say anything in front of the other guys," Tank explained. "He was trying to get us all on our own, but…"

"But he couldn't get Jacob or Wesley without Harry," Jeff finished. "I don't blame him, though. It's his sister's birthday and if he wouldn't feel comfortable with Harry here he shouldn't have to invite him."

Ginny unconsciously clenched her teeth. "Of course, we wouldn't want Ron to feel uncomfortable."

"Well, I think I'm going to go see if Angie wants to dance," MJ said awkwardly. "Happy birthday."

Ginny tried to smile and turned to face Tank. "Where's Marissa tonight?"

"At home with the kids. Actually, I'm on the way out myself. I just wanted to stop by to say happy birthday before I headed home."

"I appreciate you coming. Bye, Tank!" Ginny and Jeff waved goodbye as Tank walked out the door. "So, are you having fun?" she asked Jeff.

"It's nice to get to relax for a night. Mason's been a real slave driver lately. I'm actually surprised you've been having a good time."

Ginny looked at Jeff curiously. "Why is that?"

"Because Ron's goal for tonight was to fill the room with as many single men as possible in hopes that you'd hit it off with one. Although I don't think he was expecting some of the guys he invited to bring dates."

Ginny felt mad enough to kill. She glanced over to where Ron was dancing closely with Padma; the sight of them happy together made her want to hex them both. She couldn't believe this was all some elaborate scheme of Ron's to try and keep her away from Harry! She actually thought he was doing it to make her happy.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I just assumed Ron talked to you as much as he talks to me about wanting you to meet someone," Jeff said uncomfortably.

"It's not your fault," Ginny assured him. "Ron can just be a bit of a prat sometimes. He likes to think he knows what's best for everyone."

"Excuse me," George's voice called, amplified over the noise of the room. "I have an announcement to make." Ginny and Jeff both turned to watch George climb on top of a chair so he was towering over the rest of the crowd. "As you all know, my family was hit pretty hard by the war. We lost Mum, Bill, and Percy, and it was very hard for us all, but I realized then that life was short, and that you have to treat each day like it is your last. So a few weeks after the final battle, Katie and I eloped."

There were exclamations and excited whispers spreading throughout the crowd, but Ron could be heard above them all. "Bloody hell!"

George laughed. "It didn't seem right to make a happy announcement while everyone was still in mourning. Katie lost both of her parents, and she was just as scared as I was that we wouldn't get to live long enough to make our love official. We had decided to wait to tell everyone until the timing felt right, but it never did."

Ginny could see how George would think that. The Burrow had been like a funeral home for the last year. Nobody had ever really seemed happy, and the kids who didn't live there avoided going like the plague. She couldn't help but smile as she realized that things really were changing for her family; everyone was starting to be happy again.

Fred reached up and poked George in the side. "Why don't you tell them why you're announcement couldn't wait any longer."

George's face turned pink and he looked down at Katie for approval. When she nodded he addressed the crowd again. "We found out last week that Katie is pregnant."

Applause broke out through the room as people called their congratulations. Seeing that George and Katie were surrounded by well-wishers, Ginny excused herself from Jeff and went to sit down with her father. She smiled at him and held his hand on top of the table.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh I'm fine," Arthur replied, waving his free hand in the air dismissively. "It's your mother who would have been upset about the eloping. Granted, that's one more wedding I won't get to attend, but I understand how they felt. Especially poor Katie… no father to walk her down the aisle. Just don't get any ideas in you're head about eloping; I only have one daughter and I fully intend on walking her down the aisle. Your mother would kill me from her grave if I didn't."

Ginny pulled her father's hand to her face and kissed it. "There is no way I could get married without you being there. I promise."

Arthur chuckled softly. "Well, if I happen to join your mother again before your wedding day, rest assured you shouldn't feel obligated to maintain that promise."

"Gee, Dad, do you really think it'll take me that long to get married?" Ginny asked teasingly. "Because I foresee that you'll be living a very long time."

"No, I don't. Actually, I'm surprised you're not the one announcing your marriage tonight," he replied with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"Did I miss my chance? Did someone steal your heart away while I wasn't looking?"

Ginny turned around in her chair and forced a smile. "Hey, Zac. Would you like to join us?"

"That'd be lovely," he said as he took the empty seat next to her. "You know, Ron gave me the impression when he invited me that you were on the market. What's this talk about a marriage?"

"Just a joke between my father and me," Ginny replied. "I've been too busy with work to really be looking for a relationship right now."

"Is that so?" Zac asked, cocking an eyebrow. "I've heard you've been all but replaced."

"Ginny's been working a lot more out of the office and out of home," Arthur piped in. "Trust me, she's not stopped working."

Zac grinned and ran a hand through his hair. "Good. Ginny, you do still owe me lunch sometime. I'm traveling with the team for the next several weeks, but you should be busy with the cup anyway. How about after the finals we go out sometime?"

Before Ginny could reply there was a scream coming from where George had been standing. She jumped from her chair and hurried over, her thoughts on Harry. "What's going on?" she asked Katie.

Katie could only laugh and point up towards the ceiling. There were two big, red, tropical looking birds flying around the room. If Ginny had to guess, the birds were somewhat perplexed to be trapped inside the building.

"Should we let them out?" Ginny asked, worried that the birds would disturb her guests.

"No," Katie replied, her voice still shaking with laughter. "Fred… George…"

Ginny realized that the birds weren't perplexed about being in the room, but about being birds. She started to join the others in their laughter. "Who did this?"

"No one knows," a dreamy voice came from behind her.

"Luna," Ginny managed to get out through her giggles. "Did you see what happened?"

Luna looked up thoughtfully and twirled a lock of blonde hair through her fingers. "Well, one minute they were toasting to fertile Weasleys, and the next they were birds. Very magnificent looking birds, though."

"And no one will own up to finally getting the master pranksters?" Ginny asked, looking around the room curiously. Everyone she saw shook their heads no. _Harry._

"It's almost like the person was invisible," Luna added, winking at Ginny.

Ginny felt her stomach drop. Luna knew Harry was there, she had to. "Luna, would you like to step outside with me for a bit of fresh air?"

"Certainly." Ginny quickly looked around the room to see if anyone was watching them before leading Luna outside. When they stepped out the door Luna stopped and leaned casually against the building. "I was checking my neck to see if I had developed an infection from the trash bins I had been searching through this afternoon with my compact when I noticed that Harry was standing right beside you. My compact is made of a special mirror that shows invisibility cloaks."

"The thing is, Luna," Ginny began awkwardly, "Harry and I are together, but no one can know until later. It'll cause problems with work and with my family."

"I assumed something like that was the case when I saw how you talked about him before you left for Japan. He looks like he's been having the time of his life tonight."

"He's been helping me," Ginny replied with a smile.

"In that case, my lips are sealed."

"Thank you for not saying anything," Ginny said, breathing a sigh of relief. Harry hadn't been caught by anybody but Luna. "Where'd you get the mirror?"

"It's something I developed myself," Luna replied nonchalantly. "I'm sure the Ministry has its own version or something similar, but I thought it would be much easier searching for rare, invisible creatures if I could see them."

"That's brilliant!" Ginny was truly impressed with her friend's mental prowess. "You know, you really should talk to Fred and George about your mirror. I bet you could make a fortune selling it."

"Well, when they've returned to their human forms I may have to," Luna replied. "Shouldn't you get back to all of your guests?"

"You go ahead; I'll be back in a minute." Luna walked back into the tavern, twirling her hair contemplatively.

"You look lonely," Harry said.

Ginny turned in the direction his voice came from. "Only for you."

"You want to come home with me now, then?"

"You know I wish I could. I'm going to kill Ron." Ginny realized that she had unconsciously clenched her fists and tried to relax her hands.

"Yeah, I heard that. Can't say I'm surprised, though."

"Did you do Dean's pants?" Ginny asked suddenly.

"Yup."

"Neville's drinks?"

"Yup."

"Turn the twins into birds?"

Harry laughed. "You have to admit that was funny."

"Did you change them back?"

"It'll wear off in about an hour."

Ginny leaned back against the wall where Luna had been standing earlier. "I can't believe George is going to be a dad," she mused.

"Definitely didn't see that one coming."

"I can't believe they kept it a secret for this long."

"I was listening to them talking… Fred and Angelina were there," Harry replied.

"I wish I could see you."

"You never know who is watching. Go back to your party; I'm having fun."

Ginny grinned. "I bet you are. Thank you for coming to my rescue in there."

"Anytime, love, anytime."

Ginny walked back into the building and saw that the party was still in full force. She walked over to where Tonks and Charlie were talking to Michael. "Having fun?"

"There you are!" Tonks exclaimed. "I was just telling Charlie how I hadn't gotten to see you all night!"

"Can you believe about George?" Charlie asked. "Mum would have flipped out!"

"She would have calmed down with the news that they were having a baby. The thought of a grandchild would have excited her enough to cover the loss of planning a wedding," Ginny replied.

Charlie wrapped an arm possessively around Tonks's waist. "Well, I'm sure she was there."

"Me too," Ginny replied, smiling sadly.

"Not to change the subject," Michael interrupted, "but Ginny, whenever you're ready to leave just let me know. I'm your escort back to the Burrow."

"Thanks, Michael. I'll probably be heading back in a little bit; I'm starting to get tired."

Michael looked at her with an expression that Ginny couldn't place. "Just let me know." He walked off towards the bar in search of a drink.

"Don't worry, he's not been drinking anything that has alcohol in it," Tonks assured her. She glanced around the room before stepping even closer to Ginny. "I heard you had a big night last night."

"It was brilliant," Ginny whispered. "He told me he loved me."

"Well, I didn't know he was doing that!" Tonks exclaimed.

Ginny quickly shushed her. "I don't think he had been planning on it, but it was perfect."

The three of them ducked as Fred or George swooped down from the ceiling, almost hitting them in the heads. "I think they think we're guilty," Charlie said, watching them circle the room.

"It'll wear off in an hour… but don't ask me how I know that," Ginny said laughing.

"Did you do it?" Tonks asked

Ginny shook her head. "I know who did, but I can't tell you."

"Speaking of telling people things, have you said anything to Ron yet?" Charlie asked.

"Not yet… Things just haven't been right. Besides, I haven't seen him much lately because he's been spending so much time with Padma."

"I know how you feel," Charlie replied winking at her, "but I've lost my girl to a younger man."

"You know that's for work," Tonks said, poking Charlie in the chest. "I'd much rather be spending all my time with you."

"That makes two of us." Charlie leaned in and kissed Tonks softly.

"Right then, I'm just going to go," Ginny said backing away from the couple. She spotted Katie and Angelina sitting at a table and went over to join them. "I never got to congratulate you Katie, what with your husband being turned into a bird and all."

Katie laughed. "Thanks. I hope you're not upset with us that you didn't get to come to the wedding. It really was just the four of us, a spur of the moment thing."

"Too bad you didn't make it a double wedding," Ginny teased. She couldn't help but notice Angelina shudder at the thought. "Are you not ready for married life?"

"I don't think I'll ever be ready for married life with Fred," Angelina replied. "I can't help but see us more as life long friends. Our physical relationship has really dropped off lately, too. We were so hot and heavy for awhile…"

Ginny help up her hand to stop Angelina. "Okay, sister sitting right here. It sounds like you and Fred need to talk."

"I know, I know. I think somewhere along the way we shifted out of the boyfriend/girlfriend phase, just neither one of us recognized it."

One of the birds flew down to the table and Katie stroked it affectionately. "You don't know when my husband will be back to his normal state, do you?"

"How do you know that one is George?" Ginny asked.

"Just a feeling I have," Katie replied as the bird nuzzled its head against her arm.

"Well, my sources tell me that whatever was used on them should wear off in an hour," Ginny said. "But I think I'm going to head home. It's been a long day and I'm exhausted."

"Bye, Ginny!" Katie said.

"And happy birthday!" Angelina added.

Ginny made her way around the room, saying her goodbyes, making sure she found Ron last. She approached where he was standing with Padma, trying to push down her anger.

"Well, I think I'm going to head home," Ginny said, placing her arm on Ron's shoulder to make him aware of her presence.

"Already?" Padma asked. "Well, I had all of your presents sent to the Burrow so you could open them in your own time. Are you sure you want to leave?"

"I'm pretty tired. But thank you so much for doing all of this for me." Ginny turned so her back was to Padma and she was looking Ron squarely in the eyes. "I really want to thank you, Ron, for assuming that I am incapable of getting my own dates. I've heard what your real motivation for this party was, and I'm highly insulted that you care more about keeping me away from Harry than actually planning something for my birthday I'll actually enjoy."

Ginny turned on her heels, leaving a gaping Ron behind her, and walked to the door where Michael was waiting for her. As they began the short walk back to the Burrow Michael was uncharacteristically quiet. "Are you okay?" she finally asked when she couldn't take the silence any more.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"What went wrong with us?"

Ginny was so surprised by the question she almost stopped walking. "We were too competitive for starters. You liked Cho for another. We never got to see each other."

"But you went out with almost all of my dorm mates after me," Michael said. "It was really hard to listen to all of them talk about you."

"Well, you can hardly say I went out with any of them. Maybe one date a piece… Honestly, I probably would have gone out with anyone who asked me that year. I needed a distraction."

"From Harry?"

Ginny nodded. "We never had good timing, and we were both too stubborn to talk to one another about how we felt. It's not like we just suddenly started a relationship. This thing had been a long time coming."

"I see. So, none of those guys you went out with meant anything to you?"

Ginny didn't understand why Michael was having such a hard time grasping the concept. "Not really."

"Did I mean anything to you?"

"Of course!" Ginny exclaimed. "You were my first boyfriend, and we went out for over a year. You definitely meant more to me than those other blokes."

Michael shook his head for reasons Ginny didn't understand. "Well, this is your stop."

Ginny looked at the front door of her childhood home. "Yep. Michael, I hope you work out whatever is bothering you."

"I think I know what I need to do."

"Good night, Michael."

"Night Ginny."

Ginny walked inside the Burrow and was faced with a huge pile of presents. She circled the pile and looked at the card on a big black box with a red bow. _Happy Birthday, Luv! Dean. _Ginny scowled at the box. She had half a mind to throw it away without even opening it. Dean had been coming onto her again, after she had plainly told him no last time. And him coming onto her was exactly what Ron had wanted!

It made Ginny's blood boil when she thought about the hypocrite Ron had become. All those years he spent threatening her perspective boyfriends, hinting that she and Harry should go out, and now he was trying to throw her at every available guy! She couldn't believe his nerve.

Ginny was sick and tired of everyone else telling her how to live her life. She had been down that road before with Tom Riddle, and she was not about to go through it again. She kicked one of the boxes sitting on the floor and then limped into the kitchen. She fixed a cup of tea to try and calm her nerves.

Ginny stole a quick glance at the family clock to try and place where all of her family was before she headed over to Harry's. She immediately grinned when she saw it; apparently Fred and George had been busy while they had been home that evening. Her father's hand was on home and said snoring, George's was on home and was captioned with snuggling, Fred's was also on home and read exhausted, Charlie's was on out and read dozing, and Ron's was on out and was surprisingly captioned with snogging.

Ginny watched in horror as the descriptions on Ron's hands grew more graphic and detailed. Her own hand was now pointing at home and read disgusted. She turned away from the clock, but all she could think about was what Ron was currently getting up to with Padma. He was living it up with his girlfriend while Ginny was suffering because of his stubborn streak. It was so unfair she wanted to scream. She couldn't think of the last time she had been so angry.

Ginny's world started to go black and she dropped her head on the table. The only thing she could see was images of her childhood with Ron; he pushed her down the stairs when she was four… ripped the head off of her favorite doll when she was six… teased her for having a crush on Harry when she was ten… didn't notice that she wasn't well her entire first year… threatened Michael not to lay a hand on her… removed Harry from her life…

Ginny's body was starting to shake and she could feel the tears streaming down her face. Just as she was starting to have trouble breathing she felt a familiar presence in her mind. The wall that had been standing strong until a few moments ago began to rebuild. An image was being forced through the wall to the front of her mind: Harry said that he loved her before kissing her with all he was worth.

Ginny opened her eyes when she felt a hand on her back. Harry was standing over her, looking very concerned. She could see the invisibility cloak in the corner of the room out of the corner of her eye. She knew Harry was there, but she couldn't seem to bring herself to speak yet.

"Gin, it's okay," Harry said softly as he stroked her back. "I love you, no matter what Ron does."

"It's dangerous for you to be here."

"You needed me, so I came."

"Ron could catch us."

Harry glanced over at the clock. "I think Ron's a little busy right now."

"Ugg." Ginny dropped her head on the table again.

"Finite Incantatem." Ginny looked up and all of the hands on the clock looked like normally did. "Out of curiosity," Harry said, "how has Ron not noticed you're not at home every night?"

Ginny tried to smile. "Dad changed mine to recognize your flat as home as well. That's how he caught me the first time, so he anticipated it might be a problem."

"Smart man. Why don't we go up to your room and you can get comfortable in bed."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "You're going to stay here?"

"I think we'll be fine. I just want to take care of you tonight."

Ginny didn't have the strength to argue with him. She let him help her up from the table and up the stairs to her bedroom. They lay down on top of her bed and Ginny relaxed in the safety of Harry's arms.

"I love you, Harry," she whispered as she fought to keep her eyes open.

"Sleep, Gin."

* * *

A/N And we have another big chapter coming up next. I had been dreading Ginny's birthday, but it ended up being fun to write. A special thanks to my 700th reviewer today, sorry again for the wait! Hope you enjoyed! 


	26. Discovering the Truth

Ginny snuggled up closer to Harry as she fought waking up. The sun was starting to peak through her bedroom window, and it was a harsh reminder that morning was upon them. _Wait… We're in my bedroom! _Ginny sat straight up in bed, and glanced at her clock.

"Harry!" she hissed as she shook his chest. "You have got to get up and get out of here!"

Harry sleepily opened his eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's about five," Ginny said as she frantically looked around her room for her nightgown. She hadn't bothered to change clothes the night before, and she definitely couldn't go down to breakfast wearing her dress from the party. Harry was watching her search, looking particularly amused. "This is not funny! My dad or Ron could catch us!"

Harry chuckled as he sat up in bed, crossing his arms over his bare chest. Ginny paused for a moment, startled by the sight of his chest. It wasn't the first time she had seen him without a shirt, but she was shocked by the difference a few weeks could make. Where he had looked almost emaciated back at the manor he now looked tone and fit. Not overly muscular, but Ginny thought that rippling muscles were overrated.

"At five in the morning?" he asked cheekily.

"Well, it is a work day," Ginny replied huffily, tearing her eyes off of Harry's chest and starting to search the floor for Harry's missing shirt. "Where did you put your shirt when you took it off last night?"

"They don't have to go to work until eight, and I don't remember taking my shirt off last night," Harry said calmly, still watching her with a twinkle in his eyes.

"You're impossible!" Ginny got down on her knees and looked under her bed for the missing shirt.

"Gin?"

"What?" Ginny snapped, sitting back on her heels.

"Do you think it's possible that my shirt now lives with your dress and shorts?"

"Oh," Ginny said, comprehension hitting her. "You'll have to go home topless then."

"Care to join me?"

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed. "What's gotten into you this morning?"

Harry grinned. "I'm feeling very rebellious, lying here in your childhood bed, knowing that we could be caught at any minute."

"I thought you said we still had time."

"I think we do, but it's still exciting." Harry patted the space on the bed next to him.

Ginny obediently got up from the floor and sat down beside him in bed. She sighed and placed her head on his shoulder. "I guess we probably do have a few minutes."

"Are you feeling better this morning?"

Ginny nodded. "I was so mad at Ron last night that I just lost control; especially when I saw what he was doing with Padma."

Harry's face looked like he had smelled rotten milk. "When did they get to be so close?"

"After the party. They've been inseparable lately."

"Well, good for them, I guess."

Ginny pulled away from Harry so she could look at his face. "I want to talk to Hermione."

"What? Why?"

"Because I don't want to feel like I'm fighting with her over you for the rest of my life. Talking to everybody last night made me realize how much I miss her friendship. We need to come to some kind of truce… I know you're a part of hers and now Lily's life, but she needs to understand that now you're a part of mine."

"She should be at the Ministry today," Harry suggested. "I know that's one of the few places you can still go."

"Maybe we could go to lunch or something." Ginny was started to feel hopeful that she would find resolution in that area of her life. "I'm definitely going to have to do that today."

"Maybe I'll come by for lunch and we can all go… or would that be a problem?"

"I don't think it would be a problem, but don't skip out on practice or anything to get there." Ginny crawled over so she was straddling Harry's lap. "Now you," she paused to place a kiss on his nose, "need to go." Harry grabbed her by the hips and crushed his lips against hers. Ginny slid her arms around Harry's neck and leaned her body forward against his. She felt Harry give her a slight pop on her bum, causing her to pull away and stare at him in mock horror. "What'd you do that for?"

Harry grinned. "You said I needed to go… I just wanted to make sure you'd miss me."

"I don't think there's any way I couldn't." Ginny hopped off his lap and onto the floor, trying to regain the upper hand. "You should make sure you don't start something you can't finish, though."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who says I have to leave."

Ginny sauntered over to where she had placed her nightgown earlier. "And you're the one who hasn't moved from the bed."

"True." Harry got out of bed and picked up his invisibility cloak from the floor. He wrapped it around his shoulders, making the lower half of his body disappear. "I'll try to meet you two for lunch. Please try to refrain from killing Hermione if she's a bit stubborn. I don't really want to inherit Lily tonight."

"I'll try," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "Have a good practice."

"I love you."

Ginny smiled. She didn't think it was possible to hear those words come out of Harry's mouth without smiling. "I love you, too." She watched Harry disappear with a small pop. She changed out of her dress and put on her nightgown and dressing gown before heading downstairs. She knew that there was no way she'd get to sleep now. She had almost reached the bottom of the stairs when she ran into something.

"Merlin, Ginny!" Ron exclaimed nervously. "Watch where you're going."

Ginny eyed Ron, embarrassed to look him in the eyes knowing what he had been doing the night before. She noticed that he was wearing the same clothes he had on the night before. "Just getting in?" she asked, knowing the answer.

"It's none of your business."

"Tisk, tisk," Ginny scolded teasingly. "What would Dad say?"

"Nothing, because you're not going to say anything," Ron growled.

"It would serve you right if I did! Honestly, Ron. Do you have nothing better to do with your time than try to set me up?"

Ron eyed her warily. "Trust me; your message rang through loud and clear last night."

"I'm going to go fix my breakfast," Ginny said, pushing past him on the stairwell. She heard Ron storm up the remaining stairs to his bedroom. She prepared her breakfast and then plopped down at the kitchen table to eat. She glanced at the clock, fighting not to think about what had happened the night before. She wasn't sure what would happen if she didn't stop having panic attacks. She was even less sure what would happen if she ever had one when Harry wasn't around to help her.

Ginny sighed into her breakfast. She would love to finally get off the emotional rollercoaster they had been on, but she didn't see any positive solution in the near future. She was just going to have to get better at taking things as they came, and stop being so emotional. But first, she was going to have to get through her talk with Hermione. Ginny realized it was going to be a very long day.

* * *

Ginny felt like she couldn't focus on her work all that morning. People were popping in and out of her office to make sure that they had the plans set for when the team was to leave for Tibet. She was having a hard time believing that they were leaving again in a week. Fortunately, this time they'd be in Tibet for about a week before the match so they would get to practice on the real pitch.

The pitch in Tibet was even more famous than the pitch in Japan. It was hidden in a mountain valley and had a Buddhist Temple on the side of one of the mountains. The temple was actually the entrance to the Chinese Wizarding School, which was famous for its ancient architecture. Ginny was excited that she even still got to travel with the team, much less to such an exciting location.

Ginny glanced up at the clock on the wall of her office and decided that it was finally time to ask Hermione to lunch. She knew that going this early would probably mean that Harry would miss them, but she thought that if she sat in her office another minute longer she'd go crazy. She stood up from her desk and walked to the lift that could take her down to level four.

Ginny grew more nervous with every step she took once she got off the lift. She glanced in Charlie's office as she passed, finding it empty as usual. She continued down the narrow corridor until she reached the office marked with Hermione's name. She gently knocked on the door and waited for a response.

"Come in."

Ginny pushed the door open and walked into the office. Hermione was barely visible at her desk with all of the books and folders stacked along the edge. Ginny had to stifle a giggle at the sight before her: Hermione had ink smudged on her nose and had a quill stuck behind her ear.

"Am I interrupting?"

Hermione finally looked up from whatever she was working on. "Ginny! I'm sorry, I'm just not yet used to not getting any work done at home. I'm trying to do as much as I possibly can before I have to pick Lily up from the nursery."

"Well, is there any way I can steal you for lunch?"

"Lunch?" Hermione's voice made it sound as if it were a foreign concept.

"You know, that thing people eat in the middle of the day?" Ginny said with a grin.

"Well, I guess I could take a break."

"You might want to get the ink off your face first," Ginny said, the amusement in her voice evident.

Hermione blushed. "Just give me a minute and I'll meet you at the Atrium."

Ginny walked out of her office and headed back towards the lifts. She was surprised to see that when she passed Charlie's office this time he was sitting at his desk, sorting through some papers. She poked her head in the door.

"Hi, Charlie."

"Hey, Ginny! What are you doing here?"

"I came to ask Hermione to lunch."

"You getting your plan started?" Charlie asked quietly.

"I'm starting to get things right with Hermione," Ginny replied. "I'm going to start there, and then hopefully I'll be able to talk some sense into her regarding Ron."

"Baby steps."

"Exactly," Ginny said with a grin. "Are you coming by the house again anytime soon?"

"I'll probably pop in sometime this week," Charlie said.

"I'll see you later then."

"Bye, Ginny."

Ginny walked the rest of the way down the hall and got on a lift. When she arrived at the Atrium she only had to wait a few minutes for Hermione to show up. Ginny waved her over to where she was standing.

"Where do you want to eat?"

"Do you want to go to the Leaky Cauldron?" Hermione asked.

"That works." The two women exited the Ministry and walked down the road to the pub. They took a seat at a table in a corner of the restaurant. The table was filled with awkward silence as they looked over their menus. A waitress came and took their order and then the silence continued.

"Let's be frank, you didn't ask me here for no reason," Hermione said bluntly.

Ginny frowned. "I didn't ask you here to yell at you or anything like that, if that's what you're thinking. I wanted to talk to you about," Ginny glanced around the room and lowered her voice, "Harry."

"What about him?" Ginny could tell that Hermione was assuming a defensive stance.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life feeling like I'm fighting with you over him."

"I'm not trying to fight you for him," Hermione said testily.

"I'm not saying you are, but that's what it feels like," Ginny said patiently. "I understand that Harry is an important part in your life."

"He was there for me when no one else was, and likewise," Hermione interrupted.

"I know," Ginny said softly. "But you have to stop holding it against me that I wasn't."

"You have to stop holding it against me that I was!"

Ginny looked at Hermione in surprise. She had never thought about it like that, but now that Hermione had said it, she realized it was true. She was holding it against Hermione that she was there for Harry. "I'm sorry. I've just felt like I had to prove to you and Tonks that I would stick by Harry. I've felt like you didn't think I was good enough for him."

"It's not that, it's just that after everything we've been through it's hard to trust people to be there for you when you really need them."

"I'm not going anywhere, Hermione."

Hermione sighed. "It's just become like second nature to take care of Harry, and to go to him when I need help."

"But you have to understand that Harry is finally getting an opportunity to move on with his life. He can't do that if you try to hold him back… it's not fair to him."

"I know he's moving on. I'm happy for him, honest. But…"

"But you're jealous of him?"

Hermione examined her hands on the table. "I just want to be happy again."

"I know this is going to sound like a terrible thing to say right now, but you know you made your own bed, right?"

A lone tear rolled down Hermione's cheek and she quickly wiped it away. "I did what was right. Ron will be much happier without me."

"He hasn't been until recently. But I won't lie to you, he is happy right now. Being with Padma has brought the old Ron back, for the most part at least." Ginny hated to say all of those things to Hermione, but she felt like it was necessary. "Will you please just talk to him? He's moved on now; he's let you go. If you care as much about Harry as you say you do, tell Ron the truth."

Hermione's eyes were glassy and she stared at the table. "I never told anyone that Ron and I had been having problems before my parents died. We were arguing about our future all the time. Ron wanted a big family like yours; I wanted to have a family, but to have a good career first. It wasn't that I didn't want a family; I just didn't grow up the same way you two did. And Ron wasn't trying to force me into being your mum, but somewhere in my mind I was starting to doubt that we'd be able to make each other happy forever."

"Is that why you started to pull away from him?" All of Hermione's actions were starting to make more sense to Ginny.

"Well, I felt guilty that I spent that Christmas with him instead of my parents. It was my last chance to spend time with them, and I didn't take it. And then, suddenly, they were gone. I think I subconsciously blamed Ron. I needed to be mad at someone, and Ron was the easiest person to blame."

"It made you feel better about choosing him over your parents that Christmas."

The tears were now streaming down Hermione's cheeks. Ginny reached across the table and took her hand for comfort. "Yes… Harry had finally gotten me over it, though. The blame, at least. I hadn't confided in anyone about my doubts. When I was hit with that curse, I thought it was a sign that I wasn't meant to be with Ron. It was the final confirmation that our paths were just headed in different directions."

"But you loved each other. Ron just wanted you, everything beyond that were just musings. All Ron wanted was you!" Ginny was so frustrated. She could follow Hermione's train of thought, but she couldn't comprehend how Hermione could fail to see the errors in her logic.

"I did what was for the best." Hermione's voice was strong, but her tears revealed her doubts. "I loved him… I still love him."

"Then you never should have left him," Ginny said, giving Hermione's hand a squeeze. "But you did, and I support your decision, regardless of how much I disagree with it."

"Thank you," Hermione whispered, using her free hand to wipe her cheeks.

"The thing is, though, when you made that decision you changed Harry's life. You owe it to him to set things straight with Ron. Harry's innocent in all of this, and he deserves to have his name cleared."

"I'll talk to Ron." Hermione's voice had been barely audible, but her words lifted Ginny's heart.

"Thank you." Ginny pulled her hand away from Hermione's as the waitress approached with their food. They ate in silence as they ate, but instead of the awkwardness of before both women were lost in their own thoughts. Ginny felt guilty for smiling as she ate. She knew that Hermione was feeling terrible, but she couldn't help feeling elated. It seemed surreal; Hermione was finally going to talk to Ron.

No one spoke again until they were finishing up their meal. "Would you like to come with me to see Lily?" Ginny looked up from her food, surprised. "You don't have to," Hermione added quickly, "but I normally go see her about this time everyday, and I'd love you to get to meet her."

Ginny smiled. "I'd love to; just let me settle our bill."

"You don't have to do that."

"I insist." Ginny stood up from the table and went in search of their waitress. When she had paid, they made their way back to the Ministry. They were half way there when they ran into Zacharias Smith.

"Ginny!"

"Hi, Zac. You remember Hermione, don't you?" Ginny said politely.

"Of course, who could forget our Head Girl? It's lovely to see you again."

"Likewise," Hermione replied.

"So we still need to set out lunch date, Ginny," Zac said, practically turning his back to Hermione.

"My schedule is so crazy right now I'm afraid I can't really plan anything! Hermione and I have been trying to get together now for months," Ginny said, shooting Hermione a look to try and get her to agree.

"Oh yes!" Hermione jumped in. "Ginny here is just too busy. Actually, she's late for a meeting now, so we should be going. Nice to see you, Zac."

"Bye!" Ginny called as Hermione dragged her down the road. "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed as soon as they were out of earshot. "He can't seem to take a hint!"

"No problem, I owe you," Hermione replied with a grin. "Is he one of the ones Ron has been trying to set you up with? Not to pry, but Harry's been filling me in."

Ginny grinned. "He's one of them… one of the worst, actually."

They were approaching the Ministry and Ginny to head to the entrance, but Hermione pulled her to the side.

"The nursery is right through here." Ginny followed Hermione into a building she had never noticed before. She looked around the brightly decorated room, thoroughly confused. "There's a confundus charm on the building for the protection of the children. No one without a genuine purpose to come into the building will be able to see it," Hermione explained, noting Ginny's confused expression.

"That's really clever," Ginny commented.

"It's become a much more common practice since the war." Hermione lead Ginny down a long hall to an opening where there were almost a dozen identical looking doors. Ginny couldn't help but shiver; something about the room reminded her of the Department of Mysteries. Hermione walked over to where there was a white panel in the wall. She placed her hand against the panel and one of the doors swung open.

"Anyone who has clearance to visit a child in the building has to submit their handprint. They can only access the room of the child they have clearance to visit."

"This is tighter security than the Ministry," Ginny said.

"Well, these are mostly children of Ministry employees. The employees can defend themselves, their children can't. Come on, let's go see my Lily." Hermione motioned for Ginny to go through the open door. Ginny walked in, but she was barely a few feet into the room when she stopped abruptly and Hermione ran right into her. The two women froze, lingering in the doorway, watching Harry sitting on the floor, playing with the baby.

Ginny felt her heart race as she watched Harry. He looked so natural playing with the adorable little girl; she could just imagine him playing with their own children some day. She felt Hermione put a hand on her shoulder. She looked back and smiled.

"Hello, Harry," Ginny called.

Harry jumped as if he had been caught doing something wrong. "Hi guys," Harry said sheepishly. He stood up from the floor, carrying Lily on his hip. "Mrs. Patterson said it would be fine if I played with Lily for a bit."

"That's fine," Hermione said. "Why don't you give her to Ginny."

Ginny left Hermione standing by the door and walked over to Harry. Harry placed Lily in her arms, and the baby instantly cradled against her chest. Harry glanced around the room quickly before placing a quick kiss on Ginny's lips.

"Ginny, this is Lily," Harry said softly.

Ginny brushed the dark hair out of the baby's big brown eyes and smiled. "Hello, Lily." She looked at Harry and her smile grew. "Hermione is going to tell Ron the truth."

"You bastard!" They all turned around to see a fuming Ron standing in the doorway. Ginny was so shocked she almost dropped Lily. "I'm going to kill you!"

"That is enough!" Mrs. Patterson yelled. "I want the four of you out of my nursery this instant!"

Ginny silently handed Lily to Mrs. Patterson and followed Hermione back into the room with all of the doors. She was so nervous her entire body was shaking. Ron was pacing at one end of the room while she, Hermione and Harry stood at the other. Ginny had a feeling this was going to be worse than almost all of the battles she took part in during the war.

The door to the nursery had barely shut when Ron exploded. "You!" he screamed as he continued pacing. "And you!" he stopped and glared at Ginny before turning his attention back to Harry. "Who do you think you are?"

"Ron, calm down," Ginny said, her voice quivering. "Give us a chance to explain."

"Explain what?" Ron spat. "How Harry knocked up my girlfriend and then took on my sister as his mistress? How stupid do you think I am? It all makes sense now; Hermione dropping off the face of the planet, now this baby with Harry's hair and mother's name? Come on, I may be thick but I'm not that thick!"

"That is not my baby!" Harry exclaimed.

"Oh, so that's the only way you care to defend yourself? It's okay to be with Hermione and Ginny at the same time but heaven forbid you take responsibility for your baby!"

"I'm not with Hermione!" Harry cried.

"I told you to stay away from my family, Potter."

Ginny stepped forward to put her body between Ron and Harry. "What are you even doing here, Ron?"

Ron let out a bitter laugh. "Your comment about me trying to keep you away from Harry last night sounded suspicious, so I decided to follow you today when you left the office. I saw you at lunch with Hermione, and I heard you just now, 'Hermione is going to tell Ron the truth.' Well, the truth is right here in front of my eyes."

Ginny looked desperately over to Hermione who appeared to be frozen in place. "Did you hear any of our conversation at lunch?"

Ron shook his head. "The body language was enough. Is sharing Harry getting to be too much for you two? How long has this little threesome been going on, anyway?"

"She's not Harry's baby, Ron." Hermione's voice rang through the room, strong and clear. "And I've never been with Harry."

"You said you loved him," Ron accused, focusing his attention on Hermione for the first time since he made his presence known.

"I do, as a brother." Hermione's voice was still strong, but Ginny could see that her hands were trembling.

"I don't believe you."

"Harry's in love with Ginny, not me. He has been for some time now." Ginny reached back and grabbed Harry's hand at Hermione's proclamation.

Finally it was Ron whose voice was shaking. "If you're telling me the truth now, nothing that you've done over the last year makes any sense."

"I couldn't give you what you wanted!" Hermione shouted, her cool exterior finally cracking.

"I only wanted you!"

Hermione started to cry and Ginny extended her free hand to her. "You know we were having problems."

"But I thought we fixed them," Ron insisted.

Hermione shook her head. "I had so many doubts… so much guilt…"

"You're not making any sense! You've never been able to give me a good reason why you ended our relationship!"

"I can't have children! There are you happy now? Death Eaters took away my ability to have a family!" Ginny felt her body tense as she waited for Ron's reaction.

"But, you have a baby," Ron argued, his face displaying his confusion

"She's adopted, Ron," Hermione said with a sigh. "She's a war orphan like Harry and myself. Her real name is Lillian Casey. I felt alone and knew that I could never have a family of my own so I did something about it."

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Ron whispered.

"I did it for your own good," Hermione replied softly. "I knew you'd never let me go."

"You let me suffer all this time for nothing?" Ron shouted. "Bloody hell, Hermione, you ruined my life!"

Tears started streaming down Hermione's cheeks. "I'm sorry. I did what I thought was best."

"Why don't you ask someone else next time before you decide what is best for everyone?" Ron glared at the three of them before storming back out of the room.

When he was gone Hermione leaned against the wall and collapsed to the floor crying silently. "Oh my," she whispered. "You must all hate me."

Harry quickly moved down to the floor beside her. "I don't hate you, I love you."

"But I made a real mess of everything, didn't I?" Hermione said through her sniffs.

"Nothing that can't be fixed," Ginny said. "Harry and I found each other."

"And Ron has moved on, just like I wanted him to," Hermione added. "I just didn't realize how much it would hurt."

"We should probably get out of here," Harry said suddenly. "Who knows who is lurking around the corner to sell the latest news on us to the press."

"This is a very secure building," Hermione assured him as she stood up from the floor. Both Harry and Ginny just stared at her until realization hit. "Oh, yeah."

"You should probably take the rest of the afternoon off," Ginny suggested. "Why don't you let Harry and I take Lily for the night, and you can catch up on your sleep."

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a burden on you two."

"Hermione, while I don't think that Lily should think of Harry as her father, you can always depend on us to help you when things get rough," Ginny replied.

"As long as it's not on any kind of special night," Harry added with a wink. Ginny could tell that he was trying to lighten things up for Hermione's sake.

Hermione forced a smile. "I think a nice long bath and a good night's sleep would really do the trick."

"Harry, you get Lily and go back with Hermione to her flat to pick up her things. I'll meet you at your flat later," Ginny said.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked.

"Back to the office, I have a few things I need to take care of." Harry nodded and gave her a quick goodbye kiss before reentering the nursery with Hermione.

Ginny left the building and headed back into the Ministry. She had to talk to Ron and make sure he was okay; not just physically, but with all of the information he had just heard. She got off the lift and walked straight for Ron's office. His door was shut, but she could see light coming through the bottom. She knocked, and when he didn't answer she pulled out her wand.

"Alohomora." The door opened and Ginny walked into the office. Ron was sitting at his desk, with his holding his head in his hands.

"Go away, Ginny."

Ginny shut the door and performed the sealing and silencing charms. "I'm not going anywhere until you talk to me." She sat down on the empty chair in Ron's office and crossed her arms over her chest.

Ron finally looked up at her. She his eyes were bloodshot, most likely from crying. The thought surprised Ginny; even after everything they went through in the war she never knew Ron to cry. "I don't want to talk about it," he said. "I don't care what you all do with your lives."

"You have to be feeling something, Ron. That was a lot of information we just threw in your face."

"You want to know what I'm feeling? I feel like the last year of my life was a giant lie; a big joke that everyone was playing on me!"

"Don't talk to me about lies!" Ginny snapped, leaning forward in her chair. "What about my letters from Harry that you sent back?"

Ron's face paled slightly. "How do you know about the letters?"

"Harry told me… You're not exactly innocent in all of this."

"I did what I thought was best!"

Anger flared inside of Ginny. "You sound just like Hermione! If you had just read the letters, let me read the letters we could have figured all of this out sooner! You had no right to make my decision for me!"

"I was trying to protect you!"

"From what? Harry?"

"Yes! He would have only hurt you!"

"He loves me!" Ron was silent at her last words and Ginny sank back into her chair. She had tears of frustration brimming in her eyes and she didn't know how much longer she could stand to fight with Ron.

After a few moments Ron spoke up. "How long?"

Ginny sighed. "How long what?"

"How long have you been seeing Harry?"

"I don't know… maybe since the second week in the house? It was a gradual process; we were at each other's throats for awhile. But we started to clear the air, and I realized that my feelings for him never went away, they were just clouded by my anger."

"And his feelings for you?"

"He loved me then, and he loves me now. Thinking that we hated him destroyed him, and he's had to go through a lot of stuff to get where he is now."

"What are you going to tell Dad?"

Ginny nervously bite her lip. "They all know," she said quietly.

"Who is they?" Ron asked, his voice shaking.

"Dad, Charlie, Tonks, Fred, George…"

"Oh, is that it?" Ron asked sarcastically.

"About a dozen people at the Ministry who work with Harry know as well," Ginny replied, her tone matching Ron's.

Rom slammed his hands on the desk. "I bet you were all just talking about how stupid I was for not noticing all this time, weren't you?"

"It wasn't like that! I talked to Dad about it when I was confused, and I only told the boys recently! They all told me I needed to tell you! They said they wouldn't support our relationship as long as we were sneaking around behind your back."

"Then why didn't you tell me!"

"So you could yell at me and try to kill Harry?" Ginny asked. "I knew you would never listen to me until you knew the truth about Hermione; until you knew that Harry was innocent."

"What do you want from me?" Ron asked quietly.

"To accept my relationship with Harry."

"Things just can't go back to the way they were, Ginny."

"I know. I'm not asking you to try and be friends with Harry or Hermione again, but you have to accept that I love Harry and he's going to be in my life for a very long time."

"I can try."

"That's all I'm asking," Ginny replied softly.

"Are you happy?"

"Happier than I've been in a very long time."

"Okay… Then I won't kill Harry." Ron gave her an awkward smile and Ginny sensed that the conversation was over. She got up from her chair and released the charms on the door.

"Bye, Ron. I'll see you tomorrow."

Ron looked at her curiously. "Not tonight at the Burrow?"

Ginny chuckled. "There's still a lot you don't know, but this isn't the time or place to try and explain." She started to walk through the door before Ron stopped her.

"Ginny, wait!" Ron stood up from his desk and walked over to where she was standing. He enveloped her in a tight hug. "I love you, you know that, right?" he whispered in her ear.

"I do."

"Good." Ron released his grasp on her. "Bye then, Ginny."

Ginny suddenly remembered something. "Oh! You can't tell anyone about me and Harry; it's a Ministry secret." She waved goodbye and left Ron to wonder what in the world she was talking about.

* * *

A/N Okay, so I'm trying to answer some of your questions in my profile. If there's any kind of question you're desperate to have answered you should email me and I'll do my best. Thanks for all of your reviews, and I hope you weren't disappointed with this chapter! It was another hard one to write. Coming up: a Weasley family dinner. 


	27. Dinner with the Weasleys

A/N I am so sorry! I overworked my beta in the beginning of the week with a challenge piece I had written, so he was running a day behind, then was down all yesterday after I got the revisions! Hopefully, next week will be on time.

* * *

Ginny arrived in Harry's flat nervously excited. She had stopped by to see her father and fill him in on everything that had happened before she left the Ministry, and now she had big news for Harry. She looked around and tried to figure out where Harry was in the small flat. She didn't see him in his bedroom, and he wasn't in the kitchen or living room. She checked Hermione's old room, but Lily was in there alone, sleeping peacefully. She couldn't imagine that Harry would go very far if Lily was still there, so she circled the flat again looking for him. With every room she checked Ginny's heart began to beat faster.

Thoroughly confused and starting to get worried, it finally occurred to Ginny that she hadn't checked the bathroom. When she opened the door the shock of the image before her made her freeze before she could react. Harry was draped over the toilet, retching. He moved so he was sitting on the edge of the tub, leaning his chest over his knees, and she noticed that his clothes looked ripped, as if he had been tearing at them.

Ginny finally snapped back into reality and hurried over to Harry. She dropped to her knees in front of him and pulled his face up in her hands. Her heart was filled with love for him, and she was desperate to make him feel that. He seemed to realize she was there for the first time.

"What's wrong, love?" Ginny whispered, stroking his hair like her mother used to do when she was young.

Tears began to trickle down Harry's face and he dropped his head on Ginny's shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his back and slowly began to rock him like a baby. She whispered words of comfort in his ear, knowing that the words weren't what mattered.

Ginny lost track of time, but Harry eventually seemed to calm down. He pulled away from her slightly and smiled sadly. "I'm a real mess, huh?"

"You're my mess," Ginny whispered. "Let's get out of the bathroom and we can talk." She stood up, took Harry's hand and led him to his bedroom. She gently sat him down on the bed and took him in her arms again. "What happened?"

"It's silly, really," Harry said awkwardly. "I can't believe I lost it like that… I just couldn't handle it all of the sudden."

"It's only fair that you get to lose it every once and a while… How many times have you helped me when I've lost it?"

"I don't mind helping you," Harry said softly, taking Ginny's hand. He leaned his head back against the wall behind them and closed his eyes. "It was stupid, really. I was just rocking Lily, trying to get her to go to sleep and I almost fell asleep myself."

"You freaked out because you thought you could have hurt her," Ginny interrupted.

Harry looked at her surprised, but then nodded his head. "Apparently you know me well."

Ginny shrugged before pulling Harry closer. "We've been down this road before."

"But it wasn't just that this time. It was like I realized for the first time that I'll probably never be normal. I won't be able to rock my children to sleep; I won't be able to do simple spells to help them as they grow up… I might as well be raising them as muggles! I don't want to spend the rest of my life not being able to do things for myself!"

"You've been surviving on your own so far," Ginny said reasonably.

"But I can afford to have my own dishes blow up in my face when I try to clean them; I can't do that to so someone else, especially my child… our child…"

Ginny's heart broke for Harry. She hadn't even considered how much having his magic off balance would affect his everyday life. The fact that he had been thinking about their family only made her want to fix things for him more. "We'll work something out," she finally said soothingly, running her hand through his hair.

"It just scares me. I've never been normal before, and now it looks like I'm never going to be normal. It's not fair!" Harry let out an agitated scream. "Why is it always me?"

"Shh!" Ginny said. "Lily's sleeping in the next room," she reminded him.

"It feels so strange having her here," Harry commented. "It kind of feels like we're our own little family."

"One day we will be," Ginny said gently. "Lily is Hermione's family, and one day we'll have our own." Harry sighed and kissed her hand. They lay in bed in silence before it occurred to Ginny that she never told Harry her news. "I stopped by to see my dad today after I left Ron."

"What'd he say?"

"He was worried about how Ron was holding up, but he was glad we told him. That wasn't the interesting thing though; he told me that he wanted us to come over for dinner tomorrow night."

"Will Ron be there?" Harry asked.

"Actually," Ginny said slowly, "everyone will be there. Dad wants to have a small family get together for George and Katie."

Harry groaned. "I don't know if I'm ready to face all of your family at once."

Ginny turned so she could look at Harry's face. "Wasn't it you who just wanted to feel like a part of my family again a few days ago?"

"Oh… yeah that was me, wasn't it?"

Ginny laughed and kissed Harry's cheek. "Don't worry, the only reason my brothers weren't giving us their support before was because we were sneaking around behind Ron's back. We're not doing that anymore."

"Still, it has been a year. A lot has changed."

"You mean we weren't sharing a bed every night a year ago?" Ginny asked with a smirk.

"Maybe."

"It'll be fine, don't worry. They don't know about the sleeping together stuff, but if things are too awkward, we won't stay long."

"Promise?" Harry asked.

"Promise. Now, why don't you try to get some sleep? I have a feeling Lily will be waking us up before the night is over." Ginny and Harry got under the covers of his bed and got comfortable in each other's arms.

"Night, love."

"Night, Harry."

* * *

Ginny quickly glanced at her watch while pacing in the kitchen at the Burrow. Harry was due to arrive in a few minutes and she was a nervous wreck. She had purposefully told him to arrive earlier than her father had told her brothers to come with the hope that he would be able to face them one at a time instead of all at once. She only wished that there was a way Ron could avoid being the first one that had to speak to Harry. She was terrified that they'd both end up in St. Mungo's before they had time to even serve supper.

Ginny quickly turned her attention back to the food she had cooking on the stove. She wasn't surprised when her father asked her if she would mind cooking, but it didn't mean she that enjoyed doing it. She had prepared a roast with potatoes, along with a fresh salad. It wasn't anywhere near as good as her mother's cooking, but she knew it was better than what her father or brothers could do. If she had had more warning, she would have gotten Charlie to come over so she could start to teach him a few things.

"Dinner smells lovely, sweetheart."

"Thanks Dad. I hope it tastes as good as it smells," Ginny replied, setting a tea kettle on the stove. "Where's Ron?"

"He flooed over to Padma's flat to go pick her up," her replied.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I suppose she's not capable of getting here by herself," she said sarcastically.

"Ron's just trying to be a gentleman," her father assured her.

"More like he's trying to avoid Harry for as long as possible," Ginny snapped. She turned away from the stove and smiled apologetically at her father. "I'm sorry, I'm just nervous and I'm taking it out on you."

Arthur walked over to where she was standing and pulled her into a hug. "I know, Ginny, I know." He pulled away and turned her so she was looking out the window. "I think your guest has been pacing in our garden for the last five minutes or so. I'll keep an eye on things in here, you go bring him in."

Ginny pulled her apron off and handed it to her father. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Dad." She walked over to the back door and went outside. She watched Harry amusedly for a few moments before speaking up. "Would you mind doing a bit of weeding while you're out here?" she called.

Harry stopped in his tracks and looked over at her guiltily. "Would you settle for a nice new path?"

"How long have you been out here?"

"A few minutes?" Harry replied.

Ginny laughed. "Well, you can come inside. It's safe, I promise. It's just me and Dad here right now."

Harry breathed a visible sigh of relief. "Alright." He walked over towards the door and wrapped his arms around Ginny's waist. He leaned down and kissed her gently.

"Hello to you, too," Ginny murmured, leaning her forehead against Harry's with her eyes still closed when Harry broke their kiss. Harry sought out her lips again and Ginny felt herself begin to melt in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck to support herself as she deepened their kiss.

"Is that your tongue in my sister's mouth, Potter?" an amused voice called.

Ginny broke their kiss but kept her arms around Harry's neck and refused to let him pull away from her. "Stuff it, Fred," she said, never looking away from Harry's face.

"Well at least charge admission next time," Fred teased. Ginny moved her arm so it was around Harry's waist and turned to face Fred. She was surprised to see Luna standing with him, but she tried to keep her face blank.

"Hello, Fred, Luna," she said, noting the large package in Luna's arms. "Where are George and Katie?"

"Well, George and I were working with Luna on that mirror of hers at the shop and realized we were running late. So, I invited Luna to come with us, and George went to go pick up Katie and Angelina."

"We would have been here sooner but I wanted to pick up a present," Luna added.

"Well, you're still early as it is, so no worries," Ginny replied. She noticed that Harry hadn't said a word and that Fred was actively ignoring him. She was determined to get them to loosen up a bit. "Harry, you've met my brother Fred, right?" Both Harry and Fred looked at Ginny like she was insane. "And of course you remember Luna, don't you, Harry?"

"Pleased to meet you," Luna said as if nothing was strange about the situation.

"What are you playing at, Ginny?" Fred asked.

"Well, if you two are going to act like complete strangers I figured I should probably introduce you properly," Ginny replied huffily.

"I'm sorry, Gin," Harry said quietly. "It's just strange to be here again." Harry walked away from Ginny and approached Fred. "It's good to see you again," Harry said, extending his hand. Fred looked down at Harry's hand and frowned. Ginny felt her heart begin to race and she started to panic. She breathed a sigh of relief when Fred laughed and pulled Harry into a tight hug.

"Good to have you back, mate!"

Harry laughed and patted Fred on the back. "It's good to be back!"

"Well if you two are quite finished, we should probably go inside. I left poor Dad in there watching the food," Ginny spoke up, unable to keep the smile off her face.

"Well then, we probably should get inside if we want to have anything to eat tonight," Fred said. He put his arm across Harry's shoulders and led him into the house. "Hullo, Dad!"

Arthur looked up from the food, startled. "Hello, Fred. Ginny, you should probably get back to the food. I'm afraid I may have made a mess of things."

"I'm sure it's fine," Ginny assured him. She felt like she was on cloud nine. So far Harry had a good reception. She assumed that George would go along with whatever Fred said, and she knew that Charlie had already spoken to Harry. The only thing she had left to worry about was Ron, and she didn't think he'd cause a scene with Padma there. She turned her attention to the food and tried to keep an ear on the conversation going on behind her.

"How's business been?" Harry asked.

"Absolutely brilliant. We'll make a fortune if we can manage to mass produce Luna's mirrors. Of course, I don't know if the ministry will like it very much," Fred replied.

"May I have a tour of the house?" Luna asked suddenly.

"It would be my honor to give you the tour," Arthur replied, extending his arm to her. They disappeared up the stairs while Fred and Harry sat down at the kitchen table.

"That one's a bit batty, isn't she?" Fred asked. "She's been here before, hasn't she?"

"Not in many years," Ginny said as she checked on the roast. "And yes, she is a bit batty," she added with a laugh.

"It is good to see you again, Harry," Fred said.

"It feels good to be here again. This is the place where I felt more at home than anywhere else." Ginny smiled at their exchange, glad to see that things weren't awkward between them.

"We always enjoyed having an extra test subject around the house," Fred joked. "Ron and Ginny were always looking out for us to come after them, but you were a pretty easy target."

"I trusted you," Harry replied. "I didn't think you'd ever do anything that would kill or permanently damage me. Why didn't you wait for Angelina to come?"

"Oh," Fred said slowly. Ginny could hear tension in his voice. She had a feeling that Fred and Angelina had finally had their talk. "The thing is, we're not together like that anymore. We're still friends, but the reason she's coming tonight is because she's Katie's best friend, not my girlfriend."

"I'm sorry," Harry said awkwardly.

"Its fine," Fred replied. Ginny abandoned her food and walked over to Fred so she could put her arms over his shoulders. Fred patted her arm gently and let out a long breath. "We weren't meant to be anything but friends. I'm fine, really."

"I know, but it always hurts to end a relationship," Ginny said. She placed a kiss on the top of his head and went back to the food.

"So, how are things in your relationship?" Fred asked.

"Brilliant," Harry replied immediately. "I don't remember when I've ever been this happy."

"How'd Ron take it?"

"I don't really think it's sunk in with him," Ginny answered for Harry. "I think he was more preoccupied with everything he learned about Hermione."

"What did he learn about Hermione?"

"I don't think that's any of your business, Fred," Ginny said quickly. "That's between Ron and Hermione."

"What's none of Fred's business?" Charlie asked as he walked into the kitchen with Tonks.

"Why Hermione broke up with Ron," Fred said. "And I think that it's every bit our business. If she wasn't ever with Harry and we've shut him out all this time we deserve to know why."

"Because Ron's an idiot," Ginny replied sarcastically. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She knew that tonight was not the night for her to take out all of her aggression towards Ron. "Hello, Charlie, Tonks."

"Hello," Tonks said, sitting down next to Fred while Charlie sat down across from her.

"I agree with Fred," Charlie spoke up, obviously not ready to let the topic of Hermione drop. "You know, Ginny, and so do Tonks, Harry, and now Ron. I don't see why we all can't know. We're all family here."

Ginny put her hands on her hips and glared at Charlie. "Because it's not my place to tell you anything!"

"Actually," Harry interrupted quietly, "When I went to see Hermione this afternoon she gave me her permission to tell everyone if they needed to know to make them understand. She doesn't see any point in hiding it anymore now that Ron knows." Ginny turned her attention back to their dinner. She didn't think she could pretend to stay calm while she listened to what Hermione did again.

"Well, hurry up and tell us before Ron gets here," Fred said eagerly. "Was she cheating on him like he thought? Not with you Harry, of course."

"No!" Harry exclaimed. "Hermione only acted in what she thought was Ron's best interest. She did everything she did because she loves him."

"Funny way of showing it," Charlie said dryly.

"Do you want to know or not?" Harry snapped. Tonks was shooting daggers at Charlie with her eyes.

"Sorry, please continue," Charlie replied sheepishly.

"I'm sure you all remember the attack on Hogsmeade," Harry began, sounding very nervous. Fred and Charlie both nodded. "Well, you know both Hermione and I ended up in the hospital wing after that. Hermione was hit with a curse that day and she hasn't been the same since."

"What kind of curse?" Fred asked.

Harry looked at Tonks and she nodded. "It's a terrible curse that the Death Eaters developed to help purify wizard bloodlines. It basically renders a woman barren. They used it on muggles and muggle born witches when they didn't have time to actually kill them," Tonks explained.

"So, Hermione can't have children?" Charlie asked, his face scrunched in confusion.

"Right," Harry said. "She was devastated. All she could think of was how much she knew Ron wanted a big family like his own."

"So she dumped him?" Fred asked.

Harry nodded. "She told him that she didn't love him anymore. She knew that if he knew the truth he wouldn't ever let her go, but she convinced herself that he'd never be truly happy without a family of his own."

"While I don't agree with her logic, there's still something I don't understand," Charlie said slowly. He looked like he was trying to work through something in his mind. "How did Ron get it through his head that she dumped him for you?"

"I can explain part of that," Ginny said, turning away from the food again. "Ron and I went to go see Harry and Hermione after the Hogsmeade attack and we found them in a somewhat compromising position."

"I was trying to comfort Hermione…. Actually, she was comforting me a bit, too." Harry's voice sounded choked up, and Ginny wished he didn't have to go through everything again. "That was the day Lupin died. I just fell asleep in her hospital bed, it was purely innocent. I didn't even know they had seen us for a long time."

"But Ron would have been acting irrationally if he had come to that conclusion simply from seeing you asleep in the same bed," Fred argued.

"No one said Ron was acting rationally," Ginny said with a sigh. "But there's more to it than that. Hermione and Ron had been having problems ever since her parents were murdered. She felt guilty, and Harry was the only person she would talk to about it. Ron was being great about giving her time, but I'm sure that doubts were starting to form in his mind when she would only go to Harry for help."

"So, what finally set him off if all of this had been brewing for awhile?" Charlie asked.

"When he went to see Harry in the hospital after Voldemort had been destroyed, he overheard something and took it the wrong way," Ginny began slowly. "He heard them saying 'I love you' to each other."

"It wasn't like he thought, though," Harry added quickly. "I love Hermione like my sister, I always have. But I could never see her as anything more than that, honest!"

"But Ron didn't take the time to question it or think about it, he just started yelling," Ginny finished, unable to keep the anger out of her voice at this point. "Poor Harry had just woken up, and Ron went off and blamed him for Mum's death among other things."

"Ginny, that's not important now," Harry said quietly. "He didn't know what he was saying."

"No, I think I want to hear this," Charlie insisted. "Ron said that you were responsible for Mum's death?" Harry looked down at the table and refused to speak.

"Bill and Percy's as well," Ginny answered. "He also kept letters from me that Harry had sent that would have explained things."

"Ginny," Harry said, pleading her to stop with his voice.

"No, Harry. You're innocent and they need to know why you stayed away," Ginny said firmly.

"So Ron broke apart our family even more for no reason whatsoever?" Fred asked, his rage obvious.

"Fred," Harry began but he was cut off.

"No, Harry. You were a part of our family and we needed all the family we could get," Fred said. "We lost too much to lose someone else for no reason. I can't believe Ron!"

"He was hurting," Harry argued. "He didn't know what he was saying."

"He should have listened to you. You were his best friend and he should have known that you would never do that to him," Charlie said. "We need to tell Dad about all of this." Ginny noticed that Charlie had almost turned his back to Tonks. Tonks was resting her head in her hands, looking at the table dejectedly.

"Actually, Charlie, Dad already knows," Ginny said with a sigh. She hoped that her brothers wouldn't be too hard on their father; he had been through too much already. "Dad is involved with Harry's case at the Ministry… he's known the whole time." Both Charlie and Fred paled considerably. They sat in silence for a few moments before Charlie stood up from the table and walked out of the kitchen. Fred looked like he considered leaving as well, but continued to just sit in silence.

"I knew this would happen," Tonks moaned. "He's never going to forgive me for keeping this from him."

"He's just hurt that so many people he loved knew and he didn't," Ginny explained. "I felt the same way at first, and I didn't have as many people know as he does. I got over it, though, because I realized that being angry wouldn't solve anything." Ginny had a feeling the conversation would have gone for hours if her father hadn't walked back into the room with Luna on his arm.

"And that brings us back to where we started," Arthur said, smiling.

"Thank you very much," Luna replied, looking around the room dreamily. "It's a shame that your house is infested with stilomytes." Everyone continued to sit in silence until Fred burst out laughing. Slowly everyone but Luna joined in his laughter.

"Where's Charlie?" Arthur asked suddenly.

"He needed some time to himself," Tonks explained. "He was a bit overwhelmed by our last conversation."

Realization crossed Arthur's face. "I'm just going to go speak to him. Is dinner almost ready, Ginny?"

"It's ready whenever we are," she replied. "It's under warming charms right now waiting for us."

"Come and get us when everyone is here then," Arthur said as he walked off in search off Charlie.

"You know you're all right, Luna," Fred said. "You're a much needed breath of fresh air in this house."

"Maybe you should open a window," Luna replied.

"Hello, everyone!" George called as he walked in the backdoor followed by Katie and Angelina. "The guests of honor have arrived!"

"Hey you guys!" Ginny said, trying to pull in all of her emotions to put a smile on her face. "Congratulations again!" She noticed that George was looking at Harry somewhat uncomfortably, and she hoped they wouldn't have to have a repeat of the conversation they had just had.

"Are we late?" Katie asked, looking around the room nervously.

"Actually, Ron and Padma still aren't here yet," Ginny replied. "But I think we should eat outside tonight judging by the number of people we have here, so if the boys would move everything outside we can start as soon as Ron gets here. George, will you and Harry get the table and chairs?" They both nodded and everyone started to move outside. Before Fred could leave Ginny grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back towards the food. "Stay for a minute," she said whispered.

"What's up, Ginny?" Fred asked when everyone was gone from the kitchen.

"I just wanted to make sure that you're okay with everything," Ginny said quietly.

"Well, I want to kill Ron, but I'm fine. Don't worry about George, I'll fill him in on everything later. I'm sure he, Charlie, and I will all be having a nice long talk with Ron sometime real soon."

"But not tonight?" Ginny asked hopefully.

"I wouldn't do that to Katie, or to you. I know how important it is to you that everything goes well with Harry being here tonight."

Ginny leaned over and kissed Fred's cheek. "Thank you. Now grab those plates and head outside." When Fred joined the others outside Ginny walked over to the window. She smiled as she saw George and Harry talking like no time had passed since their last family dinner. She finally was starting to feel like she had her family back. For the first time since the end of the war, she actually believed that everything might turn out okay.

"Did you start dinner without us?" Arthur asked as he and Charlie walked back into the kitchen. Ginny was glad to see that Charlie was looking much better than when he left the room.

"No, just setting things up," Ginny replied. "If you two will grab those last few plates of food all we'll have to do is wait for Ron and Padma to get here."

"They're still not here?" Arthur asked. "I hope nothing happened to them."

"Actually, I have a feeling it's more of an avoid Harry for as long as possible thing," Ginny said, trying to hide her annoyance. "But let's go join everyone outside. If they're not here in about five minutes we'll start without them."

"Sounds like a plan," her father replied as he picked up a basket of rolls. Charlie silently picked up the platter that held the roast and followed their father outside. Ginny took off her apron and placed it on the hook by the door before going outside. The sun was shining on them all and it actually looked like everyone was enjoying themselves. It reminded Ginny of the last time they were all together before things had gotten so bad. All of her brothers, except for Percy, had come home for her sixteenth birthday. Of course Percy had made an appearance later that night… Ginny shuddered at the memory of discovering her brother's dead body.

"Ginny!" Ginny looked up and saw Harry smiling at her. "You looked like you were in your own little world there."

Seeing Harry smile was enough to warm the cold feeling that thinking about Percy had left in her heart. "I was just thinking about the last time we were all together and happy," she replied.

"Do you want to know what I was thinking about?" Harry asked as he put his arm around her shoulders.

"What?"

"The way your hair looks in the sunset."

"I love you," Ginny said softly as she leaned over to kiss him. Ginny was startled out of their kiss by someone coughing behind her.

"Excuse us… you're kind of blocking the door," Ron said awkwardly.

Ginny pulled away from Harry, blushing. "Sorry about that. I'm glad you two are finally here. We were all waiting on you to start eating."

"Oh, I'm so sorry to keep you waiting," Padma said. "It's all my fault, really. I had bought two gifts for George and Katie and was trying to get Ron to tell me which one he thought they'd like better, and then I couldn't figure out what to wear…"

"It's fine, really," Ginny interrupted. She didn't know how long she could talk to Ron or Padma without losing her temper, so she decided that the best plan would be to join the others and start eating as soon as possible. "Let's just go join everyone else to eat."

They walked over to the picnic table and Ginny was happy to note that Harry never removed his arm from her shoulders. It almost felt as if he was sending a message to Ron.

"Well, it's about time you got here, Ron," George said. He didn't seem to notice that Fred and Charlie were glaring at Ron. "You shouldn't keep a pregnant woman from eating!"

"Sorry," Ron mumbled, taking a seat at the table between Padma and his father.

"Well, everyone dig in!" Ginny said, taking a false cheerful tone. She hated it, but she couldn't deny that the tension had returned to their home when Ron arrived. The friendly banter had disappeared and everyone was eating in silence. If Harry hadn't made an effort to keep some kind of physical contact with her while they ate she thought she might have gone insane.

"The food's excellent, Ginny," Angelina said. "Thank you for fixing it for all of us."

"It really is," Katie agreed. "I just wanted to thank all of you for welcoming me into your family. I'm so sorry we didn't have a big wedding that you could all be a part of, but at the time it didn't feel right."

"Well, I guess this is as good of time as any to give you your present," Charlie spoke up. He pulled a small box out of his pocket and enlarged it before handing it to Katie. "This is from Tonks and me."

Katie's face lit up in a smile and she quickly tore open the package. "Aw, it's a crib! Look George, isn't it cute?"

"It is," George beamed. "Thanks Charlie, Tonks!"

Panic sat in and Ginny gripped Harry's leg. "I didn't get them anything," she hissed under her breath as everyone examined the crib box.

"I've got it under control," Harry replied softly. "This is from Ginny and me," he said, handing George an envelope.

George looked at Harry curiously and opened the envelope. "Oh, this is too much you guys!"

"What is it?" Katie asked eagerly.

"A trip to the Virgin Islands," George replied, sounding astonished.

"Well, I didn't think you two had gotten a honeymoon," Harry said.

"We didn't," Katie said before she burst out laughing. "The picture on the brochure looks just like the birds you and Fred were turned into at Ginny's birthday party!"

"Well, that's ironic," Ginny said, suppressing her own laughter. She saw Harry catch George's eye and wink. George's jaw dropped.

"Here, this is from me," Arthur spoke up, handing Katie a small box.

She opened it and pulled out a key. "I'm sorry, what is this for?"

"That is the key to the trunk that holds all of George's old baby things. It belongs to you two now," he replied smiling.

"Oh, Arthur this means so much to me! All of my stuff was destroyed when…" her voice trailed off and tears filled her eyes. "I'm sorry, you'd think I wouldn't be so emotional about it after all this time."

George pulled his wife into a tight hug. "It's okay, love. You're allowed to miss them… especially now."

"Here, maybe this will cheer you up," Padma said, producing another package from her robes.

George took the package and opened it. "Look, luv. It's a changing table. Thanks, Padma."

"It's from Ron as well," she said quickly.

"Thanks, Ron," Katie sniffed. "Thank you all. This really means a lot to us. George, I hate to seem rude, but I'm really tired. Would you mind if we called it a night?"

"Not at all, I know you haven't been sleeping well. Angie, are coming back with us or are you going to stay?"

"I think I'll head on with you two," she replied. It was the first time that Ginny realized Angelina and Fred hadn't actually spoken to each other the entire night. In fact, every time she looked at Fred he was talking to Luna.

"Actually, before you all go I need you to sign something," Tonks spoke up, pulling a parchment out of her robes. She looked around the table uncomfortably before speaking again. "You all have to sign a confidentiality agreement saying you won't speak to anyone about Harry and Ginny's relationship until after the World Cup."

"Is that really necessary?" Charlie asked, sounding hurt.

"Unfortunately, it is. We can't take any risks with this information. Harry and Ginny have already been getting threatened," Tonks answered.

"What!" Fred, Charlie, and Ron exclaimed.

"Well, now you definitely have to sign," Tonks added. "You weren't supposed to know about any of that."

"If my sister is in danger then I deserve to know," Ron said hotly. "Does this have anything to do with what happened to Dustin? I don't think she should be put in dangerous situations."

"I thought we discussed this Ron," Ginny said, glaring at him. "You have no right to decide anything about my life."

"Whoa, there," George said. "What am I missing?" He exchanged a look with Fred that clearly said 'I'll tell you later.'

"Just sign the paper and you can all leave if you want to," Tonks said with a sigh. "But I've been instructed not to let you leave here tonight until you do."

Arthur stood up from the table, suddenly looking very old. "I won't let you take the full blame for this, Tonks. We've both been instructed to keep you here until you sign, at all costs."

A feeling of dread came over the table and Harry hid his face in his hands. Ginny rubbed his back lovingly and looked at her family. "Just sign it." With much mumbling and complaining the paper was passed around the table until everyone there had signed.

"We're going to go now, but I expect a full report on what's going on here later," George said as he stood up from the table. Everyone said their good byes and told George and Katie congratulations again.

"I left your present in the living room," Luna said as George, Katie, and Angelina began to walk towards the house.

"Thanks Luna," George called. "I'll see you tomorrow at the office."

"What'd you get them, Luna?" Charlie asked.

"A series of books that I enjoyed as a child," Luna replied. "They really are fascinating and the illustrations are wonderful."

"They were brilliant," Fred added.

"I'm sure they'll love them," Tonks said. "Charlie, would you mind if we called it a night as well?"

"Not at all," he replied, standing up from the table.

"I think we're heading out, too," Ron spoke up.

"It was good seeing you again, Ron," Harry said with a shaky voice. "I guess I'll see you two in Tibet then?"

"Of course," Padma said sweetly, elbowing Ron in the ribs.

"Right," Ron said. "Good night. Don't wait up, Dad."

As they walked away Fred turned to Ginny. "I thought Ron didn't like her that much back at Hogwarts," he commented.

"He didn't, but he was also in love with Hermione at the time," Ginny replied. "At first she was really bringing him out of his shell again, but now I'm afraid he's taking advantage of their relationship to hide from us."

"Hide from me, you mean," Harry said. "It's okay, I'm not surprised. I'd rather him be here and ignore me the whole time than not come."

"He's probably feeling guilty and awkward," Arthur spoke up. "He knows he was wrong, but he's not quite ready to make up for his mistakes."

"Ronald always was stubborn," Luna added airily.

"Right," Fred said with a chuckle. "Harry, would you mind helping me put the table and chairs away?"

"Sure." Harry pulled out his wand and began to levitate the charm closest to him. Ginny watched him nervously, hoping that this was an area of his magic he had control of. As soon as the thought crossed through her mind the chair exploded. "Damn it!" Harry yelled. He turned away from the remaining Weasleys and Luna and stormed towards the pond.

"What the hell was that about?" Fred asked, but their father simply shook his head. "Well, Luna, are you still living with your father?"

"Oh, yes. Daddy couldn't keep up a house himself. Men are completely useless with that kind of thing," she replied, twirling her hair around her finger.

"Well then, let me walk you home." He extended his arm to her and she took it. They walked out of the yard and towards Luna's home.

"Do you want me to talk to him?" Arthur asked.

Ginny shook her head. "I'll do it." She took a deep breath and began to retrace Harry's path. She found him sitting at the edge of the pond, picking the grass out of the ground and tearing it to shreds. She plopped down on the grass beside him and took his hand in her own.

"It's okay, you know."

Harry's shoulder's tightened. "No, it's not. I can't even do a simple levitation charm anymore. I'm not even a real wizard now, and I'm worse than a squib. I know exactly what I'm missing, and if I'm not careful I'm going to hurt somebody."

"We'll figure something out. There has to be a way to fix things," Ginny insisted.

"You think you can figure out something the people at the Ministry can't?" Harry snapped.

"Well, excuse me for caring," Ginny replied huffily. She moved to get up but Harry grabbed her by the arm.

"I'm an idiot, I'm sorry."

"I love you; I just want to help," she said softly.

Harry reached over and brushed her hair out of her face. "I know. I love you, too. I'm just feeling very frustrated right now. Being faced with all of these inadequacies didn't bother me nearly as much when I wasn't really focused on my future… our future."

"We'll be fine. Ron will come around, Hermione will come around, Charlie will finally get up the nerve to ask Tonks to marry him, Fred will work out whatever tension he's got going on with Angelina right now, George and Katie will have a healthy, beautiful baby," she paused to kiss Harry gently, "and you and I will face whatever comes our way together. I'm in this for the long haul, Harry, no matter how bloody moody you are."

"You sure? I'll let you off the hook now if you want- no hard feelings."

"Just you try. You're not getting rid of me." Ginny leaned over and kissed Harry again. "And if you want out of this I'm afraid I'll have to have you certified."

"Most people probably find me certifiable, anyway," Harry said with a chuckle.

"There's that smile I love," Ginny teased. She rested her head on his shoulder. "So, you think we should tell my brothers about our sleeping arrangements next time we're all together?"

"Not bloody likely!" Harry exclaimed laughing.

"Come on, it's getting dark," Ginny said, pulling standing up from the ground and then helping Harry up. "We want to have plenty of time for personal things before we get down to Ministry business, don't we?" she asked with a wink.

"Definitely," Harry replied. He put his arm around her shoulders and they started walking back towards the Burrow. As they walked in silence, Ginny promised herself that she would try and figure out a way to help Harry get his magic under control.

* * *

A/N I was completely overwhelmed by the response to the last chapter... Thank you guys so much! I've been feeling a bit burnt out lately, but your reviews have been keeping me going, so thank you. 


	28. The Second Match

Ginny loved the feeling of the sun on her skin. Just laying down on a blanket next to Harry, basking in the sunlight, was perfect to her. She could hardly believe they were in a public park, alone, in Tibet, but a quick look at Harry's blonde hair and blue eyes were a reminder that it was all real.

Ginny would be forever grateful to Tonks for arranging for Harry and Ginny to get time alone while they were in Tibet. Of course, they had a constant guard, but it was enough privacy to please her. For security purposes, there was always a second Harry walking around, and Tonks figured that they could use that to their advantage. She found two Aurors who would take polyjuice potion to look like Harry and Ginny, giving them time to go off by themselves. After that, it was the simple task of performing glamour charms to change their appearance and they were free.

Harry reached over to stroke Ginny's dark brown hair and smiled. They had decided to take a picnic lunch to a park near the hotel they were staying at, and they were now just enjoying their few remaining moments before rejoining the real world. Ginny found that she loved moments like this more than anything; the times when they could be together without any worries over who was watching them or what they were doing. Just enjoying Harry's company as the sun set.

"What are you thinking about?" Harry asked.

"Just how much I love being here with you," she replied softly.

"I can't believe we've been here for almost a week."

"I know, the match is tomorrow. If you lose, I'm not sure I'm ready to leave yet."

"Well, then I'll have to make sure we don't lose tomorrow."

"Would you do that for me?" Ginny asked, batting her eyes.

"Of course, my lady."

Ginny giggled and turned her attention back to the sky above them. "I feel so untouchable here."

"Yeah, me too. Or at least I do until I think of the two Aurors sitting right over there under invisibility cloaks watching us."

"At least we're not locked up in our hotel rooms, being kept away from each other," Ginny replied with a shrug.

"This is pretty nice, not hiding anymore. Well, I mean, not hiding from the Aurors, at least. I wish we could just tell the team," Harry said.

"They probably already know," Ginny pointed out. "Tank knows, and at least one other person knows if someone on the team is connected to the threats you've been getting."

"True."

"Plus, they might not like that you and I blatantly broke the rules, and now we're getting help to be together."

"Also true."

"Besides, aren't you the one who thought sneaking around was kind of exciting?" Ginny teased.

Harry reached over and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her close. "I just like being with you," he whispered before kissing her.

"Harry! People are watching us," Ginny whispered.

Harry trailed kisses along her jaw and neck. "I don't care, they're not bothering me."

"Actually, I think we may be bothering them," Ginny said as she noticed the two Aurors approaching them. "Either that, or our time is up."

Harry groaned and pulled away from Ginny. He stood up from the ground and offered her a helping hand. He went over to talk to the Aurors while Ginny started cleaning up the remains from their lunch. Harry didn't know, but Ginny had another reason why she was so grateful for their time alone together. She was genuinely concerned about his well-being. Right before they left she could tell that Harry was close to his breaking point. He had been so frustrated with his lack of control over his magic. But the time away from England, and the time alone with her, was doing him a world of good. He was acting cheerful again, and he hadn't mentioned his magic once. She also knew from her time watching their practices that he was doing some of his best flying ever.

"It's time to go, love," Harry called from where he was talking to the Aurors. Ginny picked up their picnic basket and joined the trio. "All set?"

"Yep."

One of the Aurors handed them a long twig and as soon as they both had their hands around it they activated the portkey. Ginny felt the familiar tug at her navel and she and Harry landed back in her room at the hotel.

"I'll never get used to that," Harry muttered as he stood up from the floor.

"Hello!" the Auror that looked like Ginny said. "Did you two have a nice picnic?"

"It was lovely," Ginny replied, still not used to talking to someone that looked exactly like her.

"Well, I think I've got about two minutes left on the potion, and then I'll escort Harry here back to his room before removing his glamour charms."

"Sounds like a plan," Harry said politely.

Ginny rolled her eyes at Harry. Even after all the freedom they were being given in Tibet he still wasn't completely satisfied. He didn't like the idea that there were two people putting themselves in danger by parading around as Ginny and himself. It had actually been the cause of a brutal fight between the two of them. In the end, Ginny had won by convincing Harry that Aurors would always be in the line of duty, and reminding him that Tonks and Michael would always be with them, whether it was really them or just their doubles.

"Well, that's it," the Auror spoke up cheerfully, her appearance having changed back into her own. Ginny was always happy when she saw the woman's long black hair and hazel eyes reappeared. She only wished she actually knew who the woman was, but for security purposes it they were supposed to remain ignorant of her name.

"I'll see you tonight, Gin," Harry said as he kissed her cheek gently.

"Bye, Harry." The blonde Harry left the room with the Auror, leaving Ginny alone with her thoughts. She always hated the part when they took him away, even though she knew that he'd be back for bed that night.

She walked into the bathroom and was happy to see her own reflection looking back at her. Her Weasley red hair and freckles that she normally hated were a comforting sight. She felt a lurch in her stomach as they reminded her of her brothers. Right before she had left for Tibet Charlie, Fred, and George had confronted Ron. From what she heard, it had been ugly, and it was lucky that they left still speaking to each other. She was very nervous because the match tomorrow was the first time they would all be in the same room since. Even worse, Padma, Hermione, and Lily would all be there as well. Ginny had tried her hardest to convince Hermione that a Quidditch match wasn't any place for a baby, but she was insistent that Lily get to watch her Uncle Harry play. Just thinking about it made Ginny's entire body feel tense. She walked over to the bathtub and started the hot water. A nice, long bath was exactly what she needed to relax and ease her nerves.

* * *

Ginny rolled over in bed and put her head under her pillow. She was trying to get a few more minutes of sleep, but the sunlight coming through the window and the banging on the door seemed to have other ideas.

"Harryyyy," Ginny moaned sleepily as she shoved his bare shoulder. "Make the noise go away." She smiled as she felt his weight move off the bed. She heard him pad softly across the room, swearing under his breath as it sounded like he stumbled over something.

Ginny heard the door creak open and jumped as it was followed quickly by a startled, "Oh!"

She slowly pulled her head out from underneath the pillow and glanced over at the door. Harry was standing by the door wearing only a pair of boxers, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. Ginny couldn't hear the conversation that was taking place, but as she remembered that they were in her room she assumed it couldn't be a good one. She watched as Harry left the door open and went into the bathroom. She couldn't help but wince as Charlie walked into the room.

"Ginny?"

Ginny rolled over and sat up in bed, trying to keep the feeling of panic off her face as she realized that once again her pants had disappeared during the middle of the night. She knew she was blushing and her stomach was jumping so much she felt like she had eaten one of Fred and George's jumping beans. She kept her fingers crossed that Charlie wouldn't need anything that required her to actually get out of bed.

"Hi, Charlie," she squeaked.

"Long night?" Charlie asked. The question sounded innocent, but Ginny could see the disapproving look on Charlie's face.

"Actually, no," Ginny replied firmly. "You know I've never been much of a morning person."

"Well, I'm sure that Harry being here didn't help."

"I told you before that Harry helped me, and I helped him," Ginny replied tensely, clenching her hands into fists under the bed covers. "If you have a real issue with this still, maybe you should talk to Tonks about getting approval to know about everything. I can't tell you why, but without me Harry wasn't getting any sleep. He needs me, and I need him. If you're only going to lecture me than you should probably go ahead and leave now."

Charlie shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at the ground. "It's just hard to see a half-naked Harry answer my baby sister's door." Ginny was about to comment that Harry had been fully clothes when he went to bed, but since she couldn't explain to Charlie where his clothes went, she decided it would just make things look worse. "I just wanted to come by and let you know that we all got here okay this morning."

"I appreciate that."

"You should probably be glad that I told Dad I would come up for him," Charlie said.

"Actually, Dad wouldn't have cared," Ginny replied cheekily. "But, tell everyone that I'll see them in the box… hopefully, at least."

"Alright. Well, I reckon I'll see you later then." Charlie began to walk to the door by paused and turned around when he was half way there. "Is it true that Hermione is going to be in the same box as us?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes, with her daughter," Ginny replied.

"So this will be a fun day, then," Charlie said sarcastically.

Ginny laughed. "Well, I'd definitely prepare for anything."

Charlie let out a nervous chuckle. "Alright, bye Ginny."

"Bye, Charlie." As soon as the door closed and Charlie was gone, Ginny collapsed back into the bed with a sigh. "You can come out now, Harry," she called.

"Next time somebody comes to your door, you're answering it, no matter how early it is," Harry announced as he walked out of the bathroom.

"Well, you could have put some clothes on before you answered it," Ginny snapped.

"I went to bed wearing clothes! It's not my fault they're gone when I wake up!" Ginny cocked an eyebrow at Harry questioningly. "Oh right, it is my fault they're gone…"

"Just be glad Charlie didn't need me to get out of bed," Ginny said as she pulled the covers back to reveal her bare legs. "Honestly, Harry, what's your obsession with my legs?"

Harry shrugged. "You have nice legs."

Ginny got out of bed and walked over to where here dressing down was hanging over the back of an arm chair. She slipped it on and tied it securely around her waist. She sauntered over to Harry and stood so they were nose to nose. "You have to stop making all of my clothes disappear," she said, reaching up to tap him on the nose. "Now, I'm going to go take my shower. I'll see you on the pitch."

"No goodbye kiss?" Harry asked as she walked towards the bathroom.

"Maybe after you win," Ginny said with a wink before closing the bathroom door in Harry's face. Her mornings with Harry were quickly becoming her favorite part of the day. She actually liked their morning banter better than their romantic evenings. There was just something about starting her day off with Harry that made her better equipped to handle whatever the world wanted to throw her way. She realized, though, that they were going to have to do something about his tendency to make their clothes disappear. Not only was it expensive, but it had already lead to a few awkward situations like the one they faced that morning. They had decided not to say anything to anyone about it, mostly out of fear of what her dad might say, but Ginny was starting to think that this was the equivalent of Harry reacting to his nightmares, and that the Ministry needed to know. She would just have to try and figure out if there was a way to keep her father out of that meeting.

Ginny heard the door to her bedroom close and assumed that Harry had left to go get ready for the match. She was actually looking forward to the match later that day. At the first match Ginny had been working so much she had barely gotten to enjoy it, but this time it was Ron who would be in charge of all the last minute needs of the team. The Ministry had decided that it would be safe for Ginny to resume her job while out of the country when many people wouldn't be around, but as soon as people started arriving for the match, it was back to letting Ron do her job.

Ginny turned on the water in the shower, and took off her remaining clothes while waiting for it to reach the right temperature. She stepped into the shower and let out a sigh of contentment as the hot water rained over her tired body. She would never admit it to Harry, but she hadn't been sleeping well since he had received a third threatening note the first day they arrived in Tibet. He had found the note tucked in with his luggage, a fact that was frightening on its own. The threat itself had been along the same lines as the other two, but this time they wanted Harry to play so poorly in practice they brought in a replacement. Of course, it had said that if he didn't they would come after Ginny.

Ginny closed her eyes and ran her hands through her hair as she let the water wash over her entire head. She still couldn't believe that Tonks had found the note funny. Tonks had said it was about the least frightening threatening note she had ever seen. She had found it humorous that all they wanted was for Harry to play poorly. Ginny, however, found it greatly disturbing, especially after the attack on Dustin.

An insistent knocking brought Ginny out of her thoughts. She turned off the water and quickly grabbed her wand. She performed a drying spell on her body and wrapped her hair in a towel so she could fix it later. She threw on her dressing gown and went to answer her door.

"What can I do for you, Michael?" she asked after she opened the door.

Looking at her appearance, Michael blushed slightly before clearing his throat. "Uh, Tonks wants you ready to travel to the pitch with the team in about fifteen minutes."

"That's fine."

"You'll meet your father there, and then I'll just be shadowing you like I normally do," Michael continued.

"That's fine," Ginny repeated. "But if I don't go back inside now I won't be ready."

"Right. I'll be waiting for you here."

Ginny smiled and closed the door. "You always are," she muttered under her breath as she walked over to her trunk to finish getting ready for the day.

* * *

Ginny and her father were the first two people in their box. Normally, the team members' families would be spread out into two boxes, but because of all of the extra security they were now in three different boxes. Ginny's family was in a box with Tank's wife, MJ's mum, and Hermione. At the first match Ginny and her family had been in the top box, but the Aurors thought it would be better to keep them away from the Minister since there were currently threats on Ginny's life. Ginny tried to get Hermione in a different box than her own family, but it was decided that she also needed the extra protection that would be assigned to the Weasley's box.

"It's nice weather for a match," Arthur commented off handedly.

Ginny glanced around the pitch. The sky was filled with white fluffy clouds, and there was a gentle breeze from time to time. "It is. Good conditions for hunting for the snitch. The sun shouldn't blind him, but it may peak out just enough to create a flash of light from the snitch."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Arthur assured her, and Ginny had a strange feeling he wasn't talking about the match anymore.

"I can't help but be nervous," Ginny replied as she watched the stands below them start to fill.

"Your brothers won't do anything too terrible in public," her father said. "Well, Charlie wouldn't," he corrected himself.

"So, just keep Fred and George away from Ron, and Ron away from Hermione and everything will be fine," Ginny replied sarcastically. She turned to look at her father sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm just very nervous right now about the third threat and I don't know if I have the energy or patience to deal with all of this."

Arthur reached out and took her hand. "Everything will be fine."

"I'm just glad I have you in my corner," Ginny said honestly. She didn't know how she would have made it through everything if she didn't have her father to support her.

"Speaking of corner, is Michael really sitting here watching us right now?" Arthur asked, glancing around the seemingly empty box.

Ginny nodded. "He's right over there in the corner underneath an invisibility cloak. He'd come out and say hello, but we don't want anyone to know that he's there," she explained.

"And where is Charlie?"

"With Tonks down with the team. Tonks can't come up here until the team leaves for the pitch, and Charlie wanted to wait with her."

"Hello!"

Ginny turned around in her chair and smiled as she saw Fred enter the box. "Hi Fred… and Luna?"

"Where's George?" Arthur asked.

"Well hello to you, too," Fred said laughing as he ushered Luna over to their seats. "Katie was feeling really sick, so George didn't feel like he could come with a clean conscience. Luna here wanted to come so she could so an article for the _Quibbler_, but couldn't get a press pass so I offered her George's ticket."

"Fred really was kind to do so," Luna added. "I wanted to do a piece on the real identity of Pakistan's keeper, but the Ministry wouldn't give me the pass."

"You should have come to me, Luna. I could have gotten you one," Ginny spoke up.

"Well, I knew you had a lot going on," Luna replied, twirling her hair around her finger. "Look, Fred, your girlfriend is here."

Fred's face turned white as a ghost as he turned around and saw Angelina walk into the box followed by MJ's mother. "What are you doing here?"

Angelina looked at him curiously. "I should be asking you that. This is a family member's box, I'm MJ's family."

"They put Ginny and Ron's family over here this time," Fred explained. "You didn't tell me you were coming to this match, you didn't come to Japan."

"Well, you haven't spoken to me much lately, have you?" Angelina snapped.

"Oh boy," Ginny muttered under her breath. "Wasn't counting on having to deal with this, too."

"I'm sorry if I interrupted your… date?" Angelina continued, eyeing Luna suspiciously.

Suddenly Luna started laughing uncontrollably. She slid out of her chair and she was leaning against Fred's legs to support herself on the floor. Ginny exchanged a confused look with her father, while Angelina looked ready to kill. Fred, however, just looked at Luna amusedly.

"Luna," Ginny said hesitantly, "Are you okay?"

Luna stopped laughing and looked up at Ginny, wiping the tears off her face. "It's just so funny that Fred and Angelina ended their relationship because they were better friends than lovers, and now they seem to have forgotten how to be friends!" Luna let out a small giggle as she pulled herself back up from the ground and retook her seat. "Lovely weather today, isn't it?"

"I'm sorry, Angie," Fred said quietly.

"Me, too," Angelina replied. "You've met my Aunt Margie, right?"

"Nice to see you again," Fred said awkwardly.

As they held a very polite and forced conversation, Ginny noticed that her father was looked exceptionally pale. She put her hand on his shoulder and leaned over so they could speak privately.

"Are you alright, Dad?"

"Just another life experience I never thought I'd have," he replied shakily.

"What?"

"Hearing about the lack of success of my son as a lover," he answered with a forced chuckle.

"Dad!"

"Well, Luna said it, not me. Having sex before marriage just wasn't an issue when I was your age, so I doubt I'll ever get used to hearing about all of my unmarried children in that way."

Ginny knew that her cheeks were bright pink. "Dad," she hissed.

"Well, it wasn't. Why do you think we got married so young?"

Ginny dropped her head and put her hands over her ears. "I can not believe you and I are having this conversation."

"Well, if you ever find Harry lacking in that department, don't send him to me to talk about it, but I guess you probably shouldn't send him to Fred either."

Ginny snapped her head up and looked at her father, completely mortified. "Dad, we haven't… I mean, we're not…"

An obvious look of relief crossed over Arthur's face. "Oh," he said softly. "I'd just assumed that with the sleeping arrangements the temptation would have been too much…"

"I told you before we just weren't there in our relationship… yet," Ginny replied, still feeling very uncomfortable with the conversation.

"I can't say I'm not relieved."

"Hello!" Charlie's cheerful voice rang through the box.

"Hi Charlie, Tonks," Ginny said, grateful for the interruption. "Is the team all ready?"

"Yep. They have the first warm up session, so they should be out in just a few minutes," Tonks replied, while taking the seat behind Ginny.

"Have you seen Ron?" Ginny asked.

"Well, Mason didn't need him, so unless Perry did I don't know where he is," Tonks answered.

"He probably had to go meet Padma," Arthur added.

"She's going to be here?" Luna asked.

"Is that a problem?" Fred asked, looking concerned.

"No, we just weren't the best of friends back in school," Luna replied airily. "She didn't speak to me at all at dinner the other night."

Ginny tuned out the conversation around her as the team entered the pitch. They all kicked off the ground and began flying in loops around the pitch. She easily spotted Harry, and she said a silent prayer that he would make it through the game without anything happening to him. She didn't know what she'd do if he ended up unconscious in the hospital like Dustin.

"Oh, we're not late, are we?" Hermione asked.

Ginny tore her eyes away from the pitch and saw Hermione walk in, carrying Lily, with Tank's wife Marissa. "No, they just started their warm-ups."

"Good. Lily was being fussy this morning and I was running late," Hermione explained.

"I was just telling her how brave she was to bring a baby to a Quidditch match. My kids are much older and I hate to bring them. They're staying with my parents for now," Marissa added.

Ginny noticed that Fred and Charlie were ignoring Hermione, but Angelina, Marjorie, Luna, and Tonks were instantly drawn towards the baby. They bombarded Hermione with questions.

"How old is she?"

"Is she well-behaved?"

"Is she talking?"

"Is she walking?"

"Have you had her checked for Quizzarts?"

"What?" Hermione exclaimed. All of the women turned and looked at Luna like she was off her rocker.

"Oh, they're invisible, but they like to tickle sleeping babies," Luna explained seriously. "They gain sustenance off of the laughter of infants."

"I've never seen Tonks act so female before," Fred muttered to Charlie.

"I have," Charlie replied with a smirk.

"So, are you two going to be civil or not?" Ginny asked, turning around in her seat to face them.

"Not," Fred said automatically.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Real mature, Fred."

"Fred, you should hold the baby," Luna spoke up.

Fred looked over at Luna startled. "I don't know if that's the best idea."

"It's okay, I understand," Hermione said quietly.

"Nonsense." Luna plucked Lily from Hermione's arms and walked over to Fred. She sat the baby in Fred's lap and he looked at Ginny helplessly.

"You have to support her head, Fred," Ginny said. She glanced over and noticed that Hermione looked like a nervous wreck.

Fred looked up and grinned at Ginny. "She reminds me of when you were a baby, but Mum wouldn't let me and George hold you because we were too little."

"Actually, she let you hold her once," Arthur spoke up. "You wanted to see if she would balance on her head and after that your mother decided no more." Everyone started laughing and Ginny tried her hardest to look offended.

"Here, let me hold her," Charlie said, reaching to take the baby from Fred. He set Lily on his lap and began to bounce her. "I used to bounce Ginny on my lap, said it was riding a hippogriff." Lily giggled delightedly as Charlie continued to bounce her. Charlie tickled her sides and she squealed gleefully before reaching up and grabbing a handful of his hair. "Okay, I had forgotten how much that hurts. Will someone please help me out here?" he asked as he tried to move his head to keep the pain to a minimum.

"Here, let me take her," Tonks said, stifling a giggle. She took Lily off of Charlie's lap, but Lily refused to release the chunk of his hair she had entrapped in her tiny fist. "I think you'll have to marry this one off to a red head."

"Lily, let go," Hermione pleaded with her daughter. She tried to pry her hand off of Charlie's hair, but Lily seemed to think it was some kind of game and only tightened her grip. "Be a good girl and let go for Mummy, please?" Lily giggled again, and Charlie groaned.

"Here, let me try something," Ginny spoke up. She reached over and tickled Lily, causing her to squeal again and release her grip on Charlie's hair.

"Freedom," Charlie said with a sigh of relief. "She's cute, Hermione, but she's got a grip on her."

"I bet she'll be a great Quidditch player," Fred added.

Hermione reached over and took her daughter from Tonks. "She won't be going anywhere near a broom until she's started Hogwarts," she said firmly.

"Where's the fun in that?" Ginny asked. "I'll teach her how to ride and look feminine all at the same time."

"Not anytime soon," Hermione said.

"Hermione, may I hold her?" Arthur asked quietly. "It's been so long since we've had a baby in the house…"

"Sure." Hermione placed Lily on Arthur's lap, and Arthur cradled her against his chest. "I think she's tired. We're lucky she hasn't been crying with all the new people around."

Arthur gently stroked Lily's back and soon the baby was asleep. "I've missed this."

"Here, let me take her before she gets too comfortable or you'll be stuck with her for the entire game," Hermione said. Before she could take Lily, however, Ron and Padma entered the box.

"Hello!" Padma said brightly. "Oh, Ron, Pakistan's warming up already, I can't believe we missed warm-ups! Oh goodness, what an adorable baby!" Padma walked over to Arthur and looked up at Hermione. "May I hold her?"

"I don't know, she's asleep," Hermione said awkwardly.

"Well, later then," Padma replied. "How have you been, Hermione?"

"I've been fine," Hermione replied as she took her sleeping daughter from Arthur. "I'm just going to take my seat so Lily can get comfortable."

"If she gets fussy, you know where my hair is," Charlie chuckled.

Ginny wrung her hands in her lap nervously. So far, everyone had kept their cools, but Ron looked like he wanted to kill everyone for acting chummy with Hermione, Charlie and Fred both looked like they wanted to give Ron a good kick in the pants, and Hermione looked like she was going to burst into tears at any moment. Ginny turned her attention to the field where it looked like player introductions were about to start.

"Welcome to the second round World Cup match, featuring England against Pakistan!" a booming voice rang throughout the pitch. As soon as the noise started, Lily began to wail.

"Oh, shush, little one," Hermione said desperately. "Mummy's here. It's just a loud noise, it can't hurt you."

No one in the box could watch the player introductions while the baby was screaming at the top of her lungs. They had all turned around in their seats to watch the train wreck that was Hermione trying to comfort her daughter. Charlie shifted in his seat to try and offer his head to Lily, and Tonks was transforming her face to try and amuse her. All of their attempts only seemed to make Lily cry harder.

"Do you think she's hungry?" Angelina asked.

"I think she's just scared," Hermione replied, as she rocked the crying baby in her arms.

"Do you have something she could suck on?" Marjorie asked.

"No, I didn't think to bring anything," Hermione replied, starting to look tearful.

"I know!" Padma exclaimed. She pulled a plastic bracelet off her wrist and transfigured it into a pacifier. "Here, try this."

Hermione gratefully took the pacifier from Padma and offered it to Lily. Lily appeared to consider it for a few moments before accepting it and shifted her loud crying to a quiet whimpering.

"You're all missing the match," Ron commented dryly. It seemed like everyone suddenly remembered that there was a match going on for the first time since Lily had begun to cry. Ginny turned around guiltily and glanced at the scoreboard. She had to fight back a groan when she saw that Pakistan had a thirty point lead.

"What's happening?" Ginny asked Ron as she scanned the sky for Harry.

"The chasers aren't communicating at all. If it wasn't for Jacob, I don't think we'd have scored at all," Ron replied, never taking his eyes off the pitch.

"Steven looks like he's a nervous wreck," Ginny said. She couldn't believe that all of their hard work could come down to how quickly a replacement chaser could work out his nerves. She knew that if they lost because of Dustin's absence Harry would never forgive himself.

There was a collective groan in the box as Pakistan scored again.

"You're better than this, Tank!" Marissa exclaimed. "You don't want your career to end this way!"

"They just all seem a little off," Tonks said, shaking her head. "Looks like they're taking a time out."

"Hermione, why don't you go freshen up while they're on the ground," Padma suggested. "You look like you need a break. I'll take Lily for you." Hermione looked unsure of what to say, but Padma took the quiet baby from her arms before she could argue. "Hurry, so you can get back before they start again."

"Thanks, I reckon I could use a minute in the loo. I'll hurry back," Hermione said, standing up, still looking questioningly at Padma.

"Go on," Padma urged. "We're fine here, aren't we sweetie?" She bounced Lily on her hip and blew on her face.

"Alright," Hermione said hesitantly before leaving the box.

"Well, they're getting back in the air, Hermione waited too long to leave," Charlie commented as the time out ended and both teams kicked back into the air. As soon as the whistle blew Ginny watched Harry shoot off into the sky like he was on fire.

"Oh Merlin, he's spotted the snitch," she exclaimed as she jumped to her feet. "He could end it right now, the other seeker's too far behind!"

Everyone else in their box jumped to their feet to watch Harry's progress as he chased down the snitch, and Ginny could have sworn she felt the box shift as they all jumped up and down cheering.

"There's no way the other seeker will catch him!" Charlie exclaimed. "As long as no one sends a bludger his way he should be fine!"

Ginny could feel herself willing Harry to fly faster as he closed the distance between his body and the snitch. It felt like time had stopped moving as he approached it. She reached over and grabbed her father's hand and jumped in the air as Harry trapped the snitch in his fist.

"We won!" Arthur said happily, hugging his daughter tightly. Ginny was about to reply when she felt like the box moved again. She looked around, and this time, it looked like everyone else had noticed as well.

"What's going on," Angelina asked shakily. Suddenly the box lurched to the right, sending them all stumbling.

"Nobody move!" Tonks cried. "It feels like the supports have given out."

Ginny clutched tightly to her father as she felt the box continue to slowly tilt to the side. She prayed that someone would realize what was going on. Suddenly, there was a loud cracking noise and the box began to fall towards the ground at a rapid rate.

"I'm going to die," was the last thought that crossed Ginny's mind as she screamed out for help.

* * *

A/N Well, I haven't given you all a real cliffhanger in a while, and this just felt like the perfect place to do so. I'm sorry that the conversation between the Weasley brothers didn't have a place in this story, but I'm planning on writing an outtake that shows it at some point. For several reasons, I still can't tell you how many chapters are left, but rest assured that we're in the home stretch. I will tell you that not everything will be resolved in this story, some of the subplots don't really come into play until the sequel, but it was important to introduce them here. Thank you so much for your reviews! And don't worry, I promise no matter how burned out I may be feeling this story will be completed.


	29. Recovery

Despite all of the things in the war Ginny had lived through, she quickly decided that she had never been more terrified than she was at that moment. She had no control over what was going to happen to her, and if she somehow managed to survive this there was a good chance that the rest of her family wouldn't. She knew she was crying as she clutched to her father with all she had, but she didn't think anyone would blame her for doing so. She could hear Lily crying behind her, as well as several screams she couldn't place. It felt like they had been falling for hours, but it had only been a few seconds.

Ginny had been told that your life flashed before your eyes before you died, and she had never before believed it to be possible. But now, as time seemingly stood still, she was faced with images of those she loved. Instead of seeing the people inside the falling box with her, she saw her mother dressing her up in old fancy clothes… her father telling her a bedtime story about a princess named Ginevra… Bill giving her piggy back rides in the back yard at the Burrow… Charlie giving her a stuffed dragon for her birthday… Percy helping her after she skinned her knees chasing after their other brothers… Fred helping her pull her first prank at Hogwarts… George teaching her how to dance before her first ball… Ron treating her like his equal and including her with his friends… and then she saw Harry.

Just thinking about him made her realize how much she would be missing if she died right then. They would never get the chance to get married and start their own family, never even get the chance to make love. She would never get to kiss him again, never get to wake up in his arms again… Her body was trembling but she didn't know if it was from fear or from heartbreak at everything she knew she would be missing.

And then as suddenly as the fall had started, it stopped. The screams around her faded, and then quickly started again. Ginny realized that while the people in the box had stopped falling, the box itself had continued plummeting to the ground. Now, all of the people who had been in the box were floating in the air, obviously being held by some kind of charm.

"Ginny, are you okay?" her father asked.

"Daddy, I'm scared," she whispered, holding on to him like her life depended on it. She realized that for all she knew, her life did depend on her grip on her father's shoulders.

"Dad, Ginny, are you okay?" Charlie called.

Ginny slowly turned her head, afraid any sudden movement would mean she would fall from the sky. "I think so," she called back, seeing Charlie and Tonks in a similar embrace as she and her father. "Ron? Fred?"

"We're both here," Fred said. "You'll see us if you look over your left shoulder."

"What happened?" Angelina sobbed.

"I don't know," Tonks replied. "But nobody panic… Oh, Merlin. Nobody look down either."

Ginny couldn't resist the temptation and stole a quick glance and the ground below them. They were suspended a good hundred feet above the normal stands, but it looked like their box had crashed into the stands below them. Ginny let out choked sob. "All those people," she whispered, burying her face in her father's shoulder. Suddenly they lurched towards the ground again before stopping fifty feet closer to the stands. There was another scream, but this time there was more crying than screaming.

"We're all going to die," some cried. Ginny was starting to lose track of who was who as her mind began to drift back towards all the things she'd miss if she died.

"Lily! Does someone have Lily?" Ron exclaimed. Ginny's attention snapped back to reality and she thought of Hermione who could only helplessly watch her daughter stuck in the sky.

"I've still got her," Padma replied shakily. "I'm not sure she's under the effect of whatever charm is holding us up though, I can still feel her entire wait in my arms."

"Don't let go!" Ginny pleaded.

"I'm trying," Padma called back. "I just hope they get us down from here soon."

"I don't know if I ever want to go on a broom again," Angelina sobbed.

"Shush baby," her aunt comforted her. "You're going to get down to the ground and fly like you always have."

"If I don't make it out of this, tell my family I love them. Tell Taylor I'm sorry for letting him down," Marissa sobbed. Ginny remembered for the first time that Tank and Marissa were expecting another child. She had completely forgotten with all of the drama going on in her own life.

"We are all going to be fine," Luna said calmly. "Look, Harry's holding us up."

Ginny turned her head to the pitch and saw Harry floating on his broom, his face screwed in concentration, holding his arm out towards them. She hadn't thought it was possible to love him anymore than she already did, but in that moment she felt her love for him grow. She gasped as she saw Harry's broom drop towards the ground as they fell simultaneously. As he regained control of his broom they stopped falling.

"Merlin, someone help him," Fred urged.

"This isn't exactly typical Auror protocol," Tonks snapped.

"Luv, he's not blaming anyone, he just wants to make it out of here alive," Charlie assured her. Tonks broke into tears and her voice was soon muffled against Charlie's shoulder. "I love you, you know that, right?" Charlie asked quietly.

"I love you, too," Tonks sniffed.

"Is everyone okay?" Ginny looked up and saw several Aurors on brooms surrounding them.

"What do you think?" Fred retorted.

"Calm down, we're here to help you," the Auror replied calmly.

"Took you long enough," Fred muttered. Before the Auror could reply, they all dropped another ten feet. "Get on with it already!" Fred yelled.

"If you would all put a hand on the broom closest to you were going to first pull you over the pitch," the Auror instructed. Ginny and her father both reached for the Auror closest to them and grabbed on tightly to the end of his broom. Slowly, they were pulled onto the middle of the pitch and it occurred to Ginny that they were all actually farther away from the ground now.

"Why can't we get on your brooms?" Charlie asked.

"Because that would require releasing whatever spell is holding you in the air and we're not sure how that will work," one of the Aurors explained.

Ginny glanced over at Harry and she could see the pain in his face. Whatever he was doing to keep them suspended in the air was obviously taking a lot out of him. Harry's broom dipped again and they all fell closer to the ground, this time bringing the brooms they were holding onto with them.

"So the spell is more powerful than the brooms," Tonks commented dryly.

"Just get us down!" Angelina exclaimed.

"They're going to try and slowly lower Harry to the ground now, so just hold on to us and hopefully we'll have you all on the ground in just a few minutes," the Auror assured her.

"Hurry," Padma pleaded, "I don't know how much longer I can hold the baby and the broom."

Slowly, Ginny felt her body being lowered towards the ground. She kept an eye on Harry, and wished there was some way to make him hurt less. They found themselves level with the top layer of the stands and Ginny heard a loud crash behind them.

"Oh no! Michael!" Ginny exclaimed. "Tonks, did anybody grab Michael?"

Tonks's face paled. "No…"

"Then that loud crash…"

"Was probably him," Tonks finished, sounding mortified.

"I'm on it," one of the Aurors on a broom called as he zoomed towards the direction of the crash. Ginny felt guilty for not remembering that Michael had been under the invisibility cloak sooner, but she knew that she had to focus on getting to the ground in one piece first.

"We're almost there," Luna said cheerfully.

"The sooner we can get you down the better," her Auror replied. "Someone thought to cast some kind of privacy screen over the stands so the fans wouldn't watch you all plummet to your death. Keeps it out of the press, too."

"How thoughtful," Ron said sarcastically. "You know, keeping our deaths out of the press and all instead of trying to save us!"

"So the people who were crushed by our box had no warning it was coming?" Ginny whispered.

"Probably not. We have a team sorting through the rubble as we speak. There was nothing we could have done to stop it, it happened so fast," an Auror explained.

"But you had time to cast a privacy charm?" Ron snapped.

Ginny tuned out their argument and looked at focused all of her attention on Harry. He looked pale and weak, like he was going to pass out from exhaustion at any minute. Ginny glanced down at the ground. _Only a few more feet, _she silently urged him. _You can do it, love._

Harry's eyes fluttered shut and his body began to convulse. "Oh no!" Ginny cried as Harry's arm dropped limply by his side. She barely had time to register what had happened when she felt her body collide with the ground, her father half on top of her. She was too sore to move, and she didn't think she had the strength to open her eyes. She gave in to the darkness that was calling her and passed out.

* * *

_It was dark. She was moving with stealth so no one would hear her coming. Her wand was drawn and waiting for any attack that may come her way. She heard a rustling in the bushes and turned around, pointing her wand at them._

"_Show yourself," she said, but the voice was not her own. The rustling continued, and she whispered a spell she did not actually know. The bush was blown to pieces and a man wearing a mask was cowering before her._

"_Don't kill me," the man pleaded._

_She wanted nothing more than to spit in his face, but she used all of her restraint to keep her cool. "Where are they?"_

"_They're dead. I didn't do it though, I swear!" She felt her stomach roll and she thought she was going to be sick. They were too late. She knew, though, that she couldn't afford to lose her cool now. It took every ounce of self-control she had to not let her face reveal her emotions. She only hoped that he would forgive her._

_She shot a spell towards the man and he was bound with invisible ropes. She began to walk down the road towards the smoking plot of land where a house had once stood. She hated this. She wasn't prepared to deal with this. If only they had gotten a little more notice they might have been able to stop it._

"_The dead bodies are in what's left of the bedroom. It's not a pretty sight."_

"_Try to clean them up the best you can. We'll have to prepare for the muggle authorities… we don't have much time before they'll be here," she replied calmly, able to keep her voice from betraying her raging anger._

"_We put out a fire when we first got here."_

"_Salvage what you can. She'll want whatever we can offer her." She knew this would destroy her. She always hated when it happened to those so young. _

_She walked around the house, trying to sort through the wreckage. Most of the photos on the wall were damaged by the smoke, but a few simple charms cleaned them up. There was a large bookcase, filled with things she'd love to read if the circumstances were different. Most of them were ruined beyond repair._

_She felt her lips being pried open, but she didn't see anyone around her. A cool liquid dripped down her throat and everything turned black again._

"She needs to wake up. He needs her."

Ginny recognized the voice, and she could hear the urgency in it. She just couldn't seem to open her eyes, no matter how much she wanted to. She was lying down, but she didn't know where she was or how she got there.

"Will the dreamless sleep draught cause her to sleep longer?"

Ginny recognized the second voice as well, but she didn't know who the "he" was they were referring to. The more she thought about it, the more her head hurt and the less she actually wanted to open her eyes.

"I don't think so. That must have been some nightmare she was having, though. She was really flailing around when the healers got here."

Ginny vaguely recalled her dream, but it didn't feel like one of her normal nightmares. She felt like she had been someone other than herself.

"We really need her to try and help him. We don't know of any other way to calm him down."

"What are they going to do with him?"

"They couldn't get close enough to move him so they took as many things out of his room as possible and locked him in. They have someone watching him through the window at all times to see if he'll wake up. I would have thought he'd be magically exhausted, but somehow he's still reacting to his dreams."

Ginny barely registered someone taking her hand. It felt cold and clammy and it sent a shiver up her spine.

"She moved. I just felt her shiver." This time the voice seemed comforting to Ginny, like she had heard it many times before. "Do you think she needs another blanket?"

"What she needs is to go help Harry."

Harry. They said that Harry needed her. Ginny focused all of her energy on opening her eyes. She was able to crack them open, but the room was so bright she quickly shut them again. She let out a moan, and tried to sit up.

"Ginny, are you okay?"

Ginny tried again to open her eyes, and she was able to make out her father sitting next to her bed. "Harry," she said weakly.

"You aren't any help to Harry if you can't even open your eyes," her father reminded her.

Slowly Ginny was able to open her eyes and she looked around the room. Tonks was standing by the door with Charlie. There was a window that was leaking in sunlight, and she was sitting on a bed with bright white sheets.

"That's a good girl," Arthur said smiling.

"What happened?" Ginny asked as she started to feel more normal.

"We don't know yet. There are Aurors investigating the scene… they won't tell us anything," Charlie replied, only glaring at Tonks momentarily.

"They don't want to tell you until they are sure what happened," Tonks explained patiently. "As soon as they can be sure they'll let us know."

"What about Harry?" Ginny asked.

"He's magically exhausted… we can't seem to get him to wake up," Tonks said quietly.

Ginny closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "He's having nightmares, isn't he?" She looked at Tonks and the other witch nodded slowly. "I have to go to him."

"Not until we're sure you're okay," Charlie insisted.

"I'm fine," Ginny lied. Her head was still throbbing and she was dead tired, but she knew she wouldn't be able to get any rest until she knew Harry was okay. She threw her legs off the side of the bed and stood up slowly. Her legs were slightly wobbly and she had to reach out for her father for support. "Help me?" she asked quietly.

Her father stood up beside her and offered her his arm. They slowly walked towards the door and into a long, straight hall filled doorways. Everything looked white and sterile, and Ginny wanted nothing more than to leave this place behind her. At their slow pace it took them several minutes to reach the end of the long corridor, but when they got there Ginny realized they had reached some sort of waiting room. There were chairs and couches lined along the walls, and about half of them were filled with tired looking people. Ginny spotted Fred sitting on one of the couches with his arm around Angelina's shoulders. Angelina had rested her head on Fred's shoulder and it looked like they were both asleep.

"Did they make up?" she asked her father quietly.

"We're going this way," Arthur said, leading her away from the waiting area and down another long corridor. "And while they didn't get back together, I think their near death experience renewed their friendship. Angelina's aunt was still with the healers last I heard… I think she had several broken bones."

"Oh." They continued walking until Arthur stopped in front of a door about half way down the hall where two burly looking men stood in front of window.

"This is Harry." Ginny left her father's side and peeked in the window between the two men. Harry looked like he was struggling against some kind of binding, and there was hardly anything in the room that hadn't been destroyed.

"I have to go in there," Ginny said firmly. She tried to open the door but found that it was locked. "Will you please let me in?" she asked one of the men standing watch politely. The man looked towards Arthur and he gave a slight nod. He then pointed his wand at the door and it gave a slight click. Ginny pushed the door open and slowly walked into the room.

She hesitantly approached Harry, trying to make sure that she wasn't going to be hit by some kind of spell. She was able to get to him without any real problem, but she wasn't sure what to do once she got there. She placed a hand on his forehead but had to immediately remove it when it almost burned her. She weighed her options carefully before slowly climbing on the bed with him. She started at the end of the bed, where his legs were pinned down, and crawled her way up so she could straddle his waist. She didn't feel any pain with their only contact being through clothes, but she wasn't stopping his thrashing either.

"Harry, love, you have to wake up," she said forcefully. "You're only hurting yourself and I need you in one piece. I love you and I refuse to let you get hurt." Ginny placed her hands on Harry's shoulders before leaning down to kiss him. She couldn't maintain the kiss for more than a few seconds because of the pain it sent through her lips, but Harry's thrashing calmed down considerably.

Ginny wrapped her hand in the sheet on Harry's bed and began to caress his forehead again. The longer she stroked the less heat she felt radiating from his body and before long she was able to touch his skin with her own. He stopped thrashing and she quickly lay down in the bed beside him, wrapping her arm across his chest possessively. She felt his breathing return to normal and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Ginny let out a sigh of relief. She had managed to end his nightmare, and hoped that he was now sleeping peacefully. She snuggled closer to him in bed, simply enjoying being able to breath in his sent. Her mind traveled back to all of the thoughts she had when she thought she was going to die. She realized that she had to take advantage of the time she had left. If living through a war had taught her anything, it was that life was short.

Harry's hand began to caress her back, effectively distracting her from her thoughts. She stole a glance at his face, but it looked like he was still sound asleep. His hand began to travel farther south, and when it came in contact with her bum he let out a low moan. Ginny was very tempted to wake him up and enjoy herself properly, but she remembered that there were three men outside the room, one of which was her father.

She scooted up farther in the bed so her head was at the same level of his. "Love, I think you need to wake up for a bit," she whispered into his ear. Harry let out a low, guttural moan and wrapped his arm tighter around Ginny. "My dad is out there watching us, Harry," she added.

Harry's eyes shot open and he pulled away from Ginny quickly. He looked around the room frantically, and then let out a long sigh. "I thought… I mean, your dad… and we were… Oh, Merlin that was scary."

Ginny giggled and kissed Harry on the tip of his nose. "My dad is right outside the room. I had to come in because you were having a nightmare."

"I was afraid of that when I saw the room," Harry replied sullenly.

"It'll be okay. But I have to go get the healer so they can check you out," she said as she hopped off the bed.

"Don't leave," Harry pleaded with her.

Ginny smiled sadly. "I actually haven't had my own healer check up yet, and they're going to hunt me down if I don't get back to my room. I'll be back as soon as they'll let me come, I promise."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Harry said.

Ginny blew him a kiss goodbye and walked out of the room. "He's ready to see a healer, now," she informed the two men standing guard over his room.

"And so are you," her father added. "I'm taking you back to your room right now, no arguments."

"Fine by me," Ginny replied, taking her father's arm. "I'm exhausted and my head is killing me."

"I shouldn't have let you come before you got looked at," Arthur said regretfully.

Ginny shook her head and put more of her weight on her father. "I wouldn't have cooperated until I saw Harry. Let's just get back to my room." They walked slowly and soon they had reached the waiting area again.

"Ginny!" Fred exclaimed, getting up from his seat. "No one's told me anything!"

"I'm fine," Ginny assured him. "I just have to go get checked up by my healer and then I should be good to go."

"Good. Dad, why don't you let me help her the rest of the way. You're looking tired yourself." Fred took Ginny's other arm and she released her grip on her father. She glanced at his appearance and realized he did look fairly run down.

"Are you okay, Dad?" she asked as they started walking again.

Arthur waved his hand in the air dismissively. "I'm fine. I'm just not as young as I used to be… I don't rebound as quickly from these things. In all honesty, I just feel terrible that the reason you got hurt as much as you did was because I landed on top of you."

"Well, it was my fault for clinging to you so tightly," Ginny said with a grin. "It was like I was holding on to you for dear life or something."

Arthur chuckled. "Yes, I suppose so. Here we are." He pushed open the door to her room and they all walked in. Charlie and Tonks were gone, but there was a young healer looking at what Ginny assumed was her chart.

"You're finally back," the woman said. She set down the chart and put her hands on her hips. "Don't just stand there, come here and get on the bed so I can examine you." Feeling suddenly like a small child, Ginny hurried over and sat down on the edge of her bed. "I'm Healer Brown, and I just need you to sit back and close your eyes for a moment." Ginny did as she was told, and felt a strange tingling sensation covering her body. It then went on to feel like her entire body was wrapped in a cold, damp cloth. Ginny began to shiver, and the feeling of being wrapped disappeared but the coldness stayed.

"All right, I'm done. The cold feeling should go away in a few minutes," Healer Brown said. She conjured a blanket and covered Ginny with it. Ginny opened her eyes to see the healer leaving the room.

"Where'd she go?"

"She said something about needing to check on some of your results," Arthur replied. "I guess she'll be back soon." The door to the room opened again and Tonks and Charlie walked back in.

"Is everything okay?" Charlie asked, looking concerned at Ginny.

"I think I'm fine," she replied. "The healer just wanted to check on some of my results." Ginny glanced over at Tonks, and realized that she looked like she was going to be sick. "What's wrong?"

Tonks took a deep breath and turned her attention to Ginny. "They found out why the box fell."

"Oh," Ginny said softly.

"The poles supporting the box had been eroded all the way through," Tonks said sadly. "It looks like a potion was applied to them sometime last night, and it took all day for it to take on it's full affect. In all the security precautions we took, we never even thought of checking the supports to the boxes…"

"How many people died?" Ginny asked quietly, looking down at the sheets on her bed. She felt a hand on her shoulder and felt comfort in her father's presence.

"Twelve were crushed under the debris. There were another twenty injured by it. Out of all of us in the box, Michael fared the worst… he's still out and he has a lot of broken bones. Marissa was the luckiest, she broke her arm, but her baby is fine." Ginny felt tears roll down her cheeks, but she made no effort to stop them.

"And Lily?" Arthur asked shakily.

"Isn't even acting like anything happened," Tonks said with a small smile. "Hermione, on the other hand, is a complete and total wreck. It took a lot to get her to stop sobbing, from what I've heard. I also heard that she was spotted talking with Ron and Padma."

"How are they?" Ginny asked unsteadily.

"Ron's fine, just a couple scrapes and bruises. Padma broke several ribs from where Lily landed on her chest and she fractured her ankle, but it wasn't anything a good healer couldn't fix."

"I spoke to Ron for a minute," Charlie spoke up, "and he was really shaken up by the whole thing. Padma was surprising calm, but Ron looked like death."

"Is Angelina's aunt doing better?" Ginny asked.

"She'll be fine. It's just a matter of time for her. She's not as young as she thinks she is," Charlie replied with a chuckle.

The door opened again and Healer Brown walked back into the room, smiling tensely. "Well, I have your test results."

"And?" Ginny prompted her.

"And you're going to be fine."

Ginny could tell there was more to it by the tone of the healer's voice. "But?"

"Well, your magical reserves are inexplicably low. I can't find any reason why, but it does explain why you blacked out. Your body didn't have enough left to help heal your injuries. Tell me, did you cast any large spells before the accident?"

Ginny quickly ran over it through her mind before shaking her head. "I don't remember doing anything out of the ordinary."

"What does that mean?" Charlie asked, looking towards the healer.

"It just means that it'll take your sister longer to recover than it would have otherwise," Healer Brown said with a shrug. "You're free to go now, but I have to advise that you try to refrain from doing magic for the next few days, just to let your reserves recover."

"No magic at all?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"Well, just use your judgment. But definitely no big spells." Healer Brown glanced down at her chart before setting it down on the table beside Ginny's bed. "Just make sure you check out at the desk at the end of the hall before you leave."

"Thank you," Arthur said.

"It's what I'm here for," she replied with a smile before leaving the room.

Ginny was more than ready to get out of the hospital, but she didn't think she could leave without Harry. "When does Harry get to leave?" she asked Tonks.

"Soon, but…" Tonks voice trailed off and she exchanged a look with Arthur.

"Tell me," Ginny insisted.

"Well, he had almost completely depleted his magical reserves. He can't use magic for the next week or so, and he's supposed to refrain from any strenuous activity for at least a week," Tonks replied slowly.

"What about practice?" Ginny asked.

"Right now they'll be lucky if he's cleared to play by the next match. They're bringing Caleb in first thing tomorrow for practice," Tonka explained awkwardly.

"Oh my," Ginny said, sinking back into her bed. She knew that Harry would be very upset and grumpy at being stuck in bed. On top of that, she knew he'd be feeling guilty that he hadn't been able to save the people in the stands. She was sure that he hadn't even realized that he wouldn't be stopping the whole box, just the people in it. She wasn't looking forward to dealing with his moodiness over the next few days, especially when she couldn't help the situation with magic.

"So what's the plan?" she asked finally.

"You and Harry are going to return to the hotel, but he's going to move into your room. Your doubles will still be going around as usual, so hopefully no one will realize that you two are recovering." Tonks paused and she blushed slightly, glancing over at Arthur. "But you and Harry are to keep from having any kind of… relations… while you're recuperating."

Blushing to the roots of her hair, Ginny nodded, and looked at the ground. If she never had to have another conversation about sex with her father in the room again it would be too soon.

"So when do we leave?" she asked again.

"Your father will escort you to the hotel as soon as you're ready, and then I'll bring Harry to you in a little while," Tonks replied.

Ginny hopped off her bed and felt dizzy from the sudden movement.

"Are you okay?" Charlie asked, rushing over to her side to help steady her.

Ginny smiled gratefully at Charlie. "I'm fine, I'm just ready to get out of here."

"Well then, let's go," Arthur said firmly.

* * *

The room was filled with the sound of impatient fingers tapping on the table top. It was raining outside, and Ginny could hear the patter of rain on the glass of her window. She and Harry had been back from the hospital for only four hours and they were both already going stir crazy.

Harry, who was lying on the bed staring at the ceiling, let out a frustrated scream and pounded his fists on the bed. "I'm going to go out of my mind!" he yelled.

"And yelling is really going to make it better," Ginny replied sarcastically from her seat at the desk. She held her hand in front of her face and examined her nails, noting that she had broken most of them since she had left England. Normally she didn't bother herself with such trivial, girly things, but with nothing to do she quickly found herself examining every possible outlet of activity.

"If we had a chess set, or gobstones, or even exploding snap cards it would be better. Maybe I can run out for a few minutes and pick up something. Even a set of muggle cards would be better than nothing at this point!" Harry exclaimed, sitting up straight on the bed.

Ginny rolled her eyes at Harry. "You know we can't leave this room. If anything, we can ask Tonks to pick some things up for us when she comes by later."

"But what are we going to do in the meantime?" Harry whined.

"Well, we could stop acting like we we're seven, for starters!" Ginny exclaimed.

Glaring at her, Harry got up from the bed and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

"Real mature, Harry," Ginny muttered under her breath. She hoped that Tonks would be able to give them something to do to pass their time; otherwise she and Harry might kill each other. She knew in her heart of hearts that she loved the boy, but being trapped in a room with him when he was in a bad mood was not on the list of her favorite activities.

A gentle knocking made Ginny jump up from her chair and hurry over to her bedroom door. She pulled open the door, expecting to see Tonks and a relief from their boredom. She was surprised to find herself face to face with Ron, instead.

"Ron! What are you doing here?" she asked, trying her hardest not to sound rude.

"I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" Ron asked hesitantly.

Ginny shook her head. "We're both pretty restricted right now in what we can actually do. No magic, no strenuous activity, and so on and so forth. We've been bored out of our minds. Did you need something?"

Shifting on his feet uncomfortably, Ron gazed at the floor. "I actually kind of wanted to talk to Harry."

"You're not going to hex him or anything, are you?" Ginny asked suspiciously.

"Of course not! Who do you think I am?" Ginny raised her eyebrows and Ron's shoulders slumped. "I've changed since then, Ginny. I just want to talk to him."

Ginny pushed open the door to the bedroom and stepped out of the way. "Then by all means, do come in." Ron smiled gratefully and entered the room. Ginny watched him take a quick survey of the room, but she wasn't sure what he was looking for. She couldn't decide if she thought he was looking for evidence that she and Harry had just been shagging, or some kind of proof that Harry had been treating her badly.

"Was that Tonks?" Harry asked as he walked out of the bathroom. He froze in his place when he saw Ron standing in the room.

"Good to see you're all right," Ron said, wringing his hands nervously.

"I'll be better when they take some of these restrictions off of me," Harry replied tensely, running a hand through his hair.

"I'll bet," Ron chuckled tensely. "I bet you're wondering why I'm here."

"The thought crossed my mind."

Ron glanced over at Ginny. "Would you mind leaving us alone?"

"I would love to," she began, "but I'm not allowed to leave the room and I don't fancy sitting in the loo for however long this takes. So you'll just have to pretend I'm not here."

"Right, well then I suppose there's no point in delaying this anymore…" Ron looked back and forth between Harry and Ginny and began to pace the room. "I'm sorry." Harry looked like he was going to speak and Ron held up his hand to stop him. "Let me get this all out before you say anything." Ginny plopped down on the bed in shock, gaping at her brother like a fish.

"I've been a pretty big idiot, apparently. I was proud and stupid, and I just seemed to forget about our seven years of friendship in one fit of anger. When the box fell, I thought I was going to die. Needless to say, I was pretty much scared shitless. Almost dying tends to do that to a person…" Ron shook his head and chuckled again nervously.

"I made up my mind that I had to apologize to you the second I realized that I was going to be fine, and not just because you saved all of our lives. I couldn't stand the thought of dying without having set things right with you first. I was wrong about you and Hermione, I can admit that now, and I made a right mess of things by sending back all of those letters. I've missed out on a lot because I was angry, and I don't want to do that anymore." Ron stopped his pacing and looked at Harry, his expression turning serious.

"I'm not going to pretend that things can just go back to the way they were, because too much has happened. Honestly, I won't blame you if you want to hold a grudge against me for years to come. But I'm going to try to make things right again. That's all I can do, really." Ron dropped his gaze back to the floor and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I reckon that's all I had to say, so I'll just be going."

The only thing crossing through Ginny's mind was who the imposter and what they did do with her brother. She couldn't believe that her brother would show a rare moment of maturity and actually apologize. She felt like her chin was resting on the floor, but she was too shocked to close her mouth. Ron looked at her and nodded before heading for the door.

"Ron, wait," Harry called. Ron stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around to face Harry. Ginny shivered as the tension between them was thick enough to cut with a knife.

"Yeah?"

"I'd really like to try and make things better." Harry stole a quick glance at Ginny and grinned briefly. "I'm in love with your sister, so I have a feeling we'll be seeing a good bit of each other. I can't pretend that you didn't hurt me, but we all made our own mistakes and it's time to move on."

Ron's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Harry nodded and laughed. "Yeah. Things may never be the same again, but I think we can put a stop to the dinners where we don't say two words to one another."

"That was pretty awkward, wasn't it?" Ron chuckled. "Just so you know, I spoke to Hermione as well, and we're going to try and be, well friends might be too strong of a word, but we're going to try and at least be civil."

"That's brilliant, Ron," Ginny gushed, speaking up for the first time since Ron apologized.

"Well, Padma was the one who suggested I do it. She could tell how upset I was after the accident and thought it would make me feel better," he explained sheepishly. "Padma wants to have her over for dinner sometime. She feels a really strong connection to Lily now."

All of the images of the golden trio being reunited in Ginny's head were destroyed. As long as Padma was in the picture, she didn't think that Ron and Hermione would be able to maintain anything resembling a normal friendship.

"I bet," she managed to reply.

"I should probably be going… Padma's waiting for me downstairs. I'll be seeing you two around," Ron said making his way for the door. "I hope you both make a full recovery soon."

"Thanks, and don't be a stranger," Harry said lightly.

Ginny jumped off the bed and ran over to Ron, hugging him tightly. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear.

Ron put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back slightly. "I didn't do this for you, I did it for me."

"Thank you all the same," she replied with a grin. "I'll see you later."

"Bye," Ron gave her shoulders a slight squeeze and left the room. Ginny turned around and leaned against the closed door.

"Well, how about that," she said with a grin. "And here you though we were going to be bored."

Harry smacked himself in the forehead. "We should have asked Ron to pick something up for us!"

"That would be the point you decide to dwell on," Ginny replied laughing. "We can still ask Tonks when she comes by later."

"So, what do we do until then?"

"Enjoy each other's company?" she suggested. "Purely innocently, of course."

"Maybe a nap?"

Ginny sauntered over to where Harry was standing and wrapped her arms around his waist. "That would be very nice," she said coyly.

"You have no idea how much I wish we weren't under this no strenuous activities rule," Harry groaned, throwing back his head.

Ginny pulled his head back up and kissed him softly. "We'll survive." She pulled him back to the bed and they both got under the covers. Ginny put an arm over Harry's chest and breathed in the scent of him, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

As the knocking on her bedroom door grew more insistent, Ginny was starting to think she wouldn't ever be allowed to just wake up in her own time again. She was much too comfortable in Harry's arms to make herself get up and answer the door.

"Harryyy," she moaned, snuggling closer to him. She felt his hand squeeze her stomach slightly and she sighed contentedly.

"I'm not answering your door again," he whispered, kissing her bare shoulder.

Ginny's eyes shot open and she quickly moved away from Harry, clutching the sheets tightly against her body. Harry looked confused for a minute before realization crossed over his face. He sat up in bed, being careful not to move the covers off of Ginny or his own lap.

"Are you?" he asked hesitantly.

Ginny nodded. "Completely. You?"

Harry nodded. Before he could say anything else, the door burst open and Tonks and Susan Bones, Ginny's new guard, came flying into the room, wands out.

"Is everything okay in here?" Tonks asked. She looked around the room for signs of danger before her eyes settled on Harry and Ginny's appearance. She frowned and turned to Susan. "You should resume your position by the door… everything's okay in here."

"Right," Susan said, blushing furiously. Ginny couldn't help but notice that Susan had been staring at Harry, and she could have sworn she saw her eyes flash in anger before she left the room.

"I don't know whether to be happy you're both okay or upset that you've obviously been breaking the rules," Tonks began slowly.

"It's not what it looks like," Ginny said quickly, resisting the urge to hide under the covers. She knew that she was blushing, and she couldn't even as much as look at Harry.

"We actually wanted to talk to you about this," Harry said awkwardly.

"You need advice?" Tonks asked cheekily, starting to look amused by their embarrassment.

"Will you please just hand me my dressing gown?" Ginny asked. Tonks picked up the garment from its place on the back of the arm chair and handed it to her. Ginny carefully put it on, trying not to expose her naked body. As soon as she was sure she was covered she got out of the bed.

"Will you hand me some clothes?" Harry asked. Ginny nodded and starting going through his trunk for something for him to wear.

"Why don't you just put the clothes you had on earlier back on?" Tonks asked.

"Because they're gone," Ginny said patiently. "That's what we wanted to talk to you about."

"I'm confused."

Ginny pulled a pair of underwear and pants out of Harry's trunk and handed them to him. "Ever since my birthday Harry's been having a slight problem," she explained slowly. "It seems that I didn't help him stop reacting to his dreams, but I did manage to stop the nightmares." Tonks still looked confused, but Ginny could bring herself to verbalize what was actually happening.

"I'm banishing our clothes," Harry said simply, getting out of the bed. "We go to bed fully dressed and wake up missing clothes. This is the first time I've actually banished all of them, though."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Tonks asked.

"For one thing, it was embarrassing," Harry said as he pulled on a shirt over his head. "For another thing, I didn't think I'd be able to sit through that meeting with Mr. Weasley."

"And we didn't really think it was that bad until recently," Ginny added.

"And this only happens when you sleep?" Tonks asked.

"Actually, it happened while we were awake on my birthday as well," Ginny remembered. "It was right after we said 'I love you' for the first time," she added softly. "He banished my dress."

"That pretty one we spent forever shopping for!" Tonks exclaimed.

"Nice to see you have your priorities straight," Harry said sarcastically.

"Sorry," Tonks said sheepishly. "But that really was a fabulous dress."

"The point is, this is getting a bit out of control," Ginny interrupted. "I'm losing part of my wardrobe every night right now."

"Do you two, well, I mean, do you, you know, right before you go to bed?" Tonks asked, examining the paint on the walls closely.

"We try to keep all of that away from the bedroom, honestly," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. She was embarrassed by the situation, but they were all started to act like little kids and she'd had about enough of it. "We think of our time in bed as a Ministry activity instead of us time."

"That's probably smart," Tonks replied. "I guess we need to look into this. Probably find some kind of way to monitor your magic when you sleep."

"Can we keep my dad out of it, at least for now?" Ginny asked.

"Definitely," Tonks said. "I don't want to be the one to tell him, either. Until we can work something out, I suggest that you two start conjuring bedclothes instead of wearing what you own."

"What about our magic limit?" Harry asked.

"I think it'd be okay if Ginny did it for now," Tonks said slowly. "I really need to talk to Minister Bones about this."

"Before you go," Harry said quickly, "will you please bring us some games or something? We're both going out of our minds with boredom."

"Not a problem," Tonks replied with a grin. "I'll send some things to you tomorrow. You two behave tonight. I know it'll be hard, but you're going to have to try for just a few more days."

"We will. Bye, Tonks," Ginny said, happy that the awkward situation was finally ending.

"Bye!" As soon as Tonks left the room Harry and Ginny let out a collective sigh of relief.

"I think someone is trying to kill us by embarrassment," Harry said, walking over to Ginny and pulling her into a hug.

"Hopefully she'll be able to help us make things better," Ginny said softly. "I don't think it can get much worse."

"Don't say that, you'll jinx us," Harry teased. He ran his hand along her back and Ginny was reminded that she wasn't wearing anything under her dressing gown. She pulled away from Harry and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Can I be honest?" she asked nervously.

Harry looked concerned but nodded his head.

"It was really nice waking up like that with you but," her voice trailed off and she knew her face was flushing from embarrassment. She wasn't exactly sure what she was trying to say. When the box was falling and she thought she was going to die, she had convinced herself that making love to Harry was what she wanted. But when she had been faced with the reality of it, she had realized she still wasn't ready. She wanted their first time together to be perfect, like her mum's romance novels.

Ginny realized that Harry was staring at her, looking very worried. "I just want everything to be perfect," she said finally.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Harry smiled slightly. "I understand."

"Do you just want to go back to bed and pretend that none of this happened?" Ginny asked.

"That'd be heaven," Harry replied.

"Then I'll just conjure some clothes and we can hit the sack."

"Good." Harry kissed her cheek and walked into the bathroom. Ginny pulled out her wand and conjured two sets of pajamas. She was ready to move on with her life, and she was ready to have to stop worrying about someone trying to hurt her or Harry. She let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes. She would feel a lot better about everything when the World Cup was over.

* * *

A/N Well, that was a long chapter… As to why they couldn't apparate, all of those thoughts of Ginny's happened in a matter of seconds, and I don't think anyone would have been thinking clearly enough to not splinch themselves. The other news is that I've started a livejournal, and I'll be posting things there about the story, its status, the revised versions, and other things that I've written. It's listed as my homepage in my profile, so check it out if you want. Thanks for all of your reviews. You guys have really been overwhelming me lately! I have exams this week... one at 6 tomorrow night, actually... so I'm going to try to stay on time, but no promises! 


	30. Searching for Answers

Ever since the accident, time had been crawling for Ginny. First it was the two days and one night she and Harry had been trapped in her hotel room, unable to do magic or any kind of strenuous activity. They had fought more in those two days than ever before. Then came what Ginny thought was going to be a blessing: Tonks told them they were being taken back to England to undergo tests at the St. Mungo's. Unfortunately, they were being taken in a muggle air plane. Ginny didn't quite understand the logic behind it, but she and Harry had been on the miserable flight that lasted for hours on end.

Once they had arrived in London, they were taken to the St. Mungo's they were poked and prodded by healers for the rest of the day. Sore and tired, Ginny had collapsed in Harry's bed that night, and had the distinct pleasure of waking up with all of her clothes still on the next morning.

The next day consisted of more tests, and Ginny was starting to understand what it felt like to be Harry. She had complete strangers asking her very personal questions, and she felt like every inch of her body had been examined. The only good news was that she was finally cleared to use magic again.

Harry, on the other hand, was growing increasingly grumpy. The only thing the healers would tell him was that he still couldn't use magic and still couldn't do any real physical activities. Ginny knew he felt guilty for having to leave the team, and that he was frustrated by his slow recovery.

The one thing the healers had been able to determine through everything was that there was no real reason for Ginny's depletion of magical reserves. Even after all of the tests, they couldn't find a single thing wrong with her. It almost made Ginny feel guilty, knowing that she was free to behave normally while Harry couldn't. She was trying to avoid using spells in front of him as much as possible so he wouldn't be reminded of what he couldn't do.

"Miss Weasley?"

Ginny looked up from the magazine she was looking at in the waiting room at St. Mungo's and saw the all too familiar lime green robes of the St. Mungo's healers. "Yes?"

"We're almost done with Mr. Potter, but you two are supposed to go straight to the Ministry from here."

Ginny put the magazine back on the table. "Why?" she asked, frowning. She was trying hard to control her temper. They had been told that this was the last set of testing Harry was being put through and then they'd be free to go home.

"We've recommended to the Ministry that they record your magical energies while sleeping. We're still trying to discover the reason behind the disappearance of your clothing," the healer replied briskly. "Mr. Potter will be joining you shortly, and then you can go down the hall to the third door on the right. There's a fireplace in there you can use to Floo."

Ginny glared at the older woman as she walked away. She couldn't believe that the healers were recommending that their sleeping habits be observed. So far they had been able to keep her father out of it, but she didn't know how much longer her luck would hold out. She didn't know if she'd be able to handle it if her father saw her wake up in the nude with Harry.

Ginny dropped her face in her hands and fought desperately not to start crying. She just wanted everything to be over. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Harry looking concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Just a bit overwhelmed," Ginny sniffed, wiping a stray tear from her cheek.

"I assume you heard about what they're making us do now, then."

"Have a bunch of strangers watch us sleep? Yeah, I heard."

"I'm sorry that you have to go through all of this because of me," Harry said quietly.

"I just want it all to be over so we can live our lives," Ginny replied. "So, let's go to the Ministry and see what they have in store for us now."

Harry helped her up, but instead of leading her down the hall to the room with the fireplace, he began to lead her to the stairs.

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked as they entered a stairwell.

"Taking you away from all of this."

"But they're expecting us at the Ministry," Ginny insisted.

"And they can wait," Harry replied.

"Is it safe?" Ginny asked. "We've not been out without Aurors in a long time…"

Harry shrugged. "Everyone thinks we're still in Tibet since our doubles are still there. We'll just go out in muggle London for a bit, and then we'll go to the Ministry."

"Well, it would be nice to get away for a bit," Ginny said slowly as they left the building and walked into muggle London. "Well, where to?"

"Let's just walk and see if we can find a pub or something," Harry suggested as they started to walk down the street. "It's nice, doing something spontaneous for once."

"I can't think of the last time I did anything without having to run it by an Auror first," Ginny said dramatically. "Although, as long as there is apparently someone trying to kill us, it's probably better that we do check in with Aurors."

Harry chuckled. "We can go back if you'd like."

Ginny took his hand and began to walk faster. "No, I think we need this. I just don't feel completely safe."

"Well, you did almost die a few days ago," Harry said.

Ginny reached over and smacked his arm playfully. "Thanks for reminding me."

"I have an idea I think you'll like," Harry said as he let go of her hand and walked over to the curb. Ginny couldn't see exactly what he was doing, but soon a cab had pulled over. Harry opened the door and ushered her in.

"Where are we going?" she hissed.

Harry grinned and leaned forward to tell the cab driver where they wanted to go. "It's a surprise."

"So, you'll tell him but not me?" Ginny pouted.

"Well, it's not a surprise for him," Harry replied cheekily.

Ginny stuck out her tongue before turning her head to watch the scenery out the window. The buildings started to grow farther apart and before too long it looked like they were driving through neighborhoods. Her face broke out in a grin and she turned to Harry.

"I know where we're going!" she exclaimed happily. "Grimmauld Place."

"Yeah. It will be the first time I've been there since I started try outs for the National team."

Ginny frowned. "Don't you own it now? Why don't you live there?"

"It was just too painful to want to live in that big, creepy house by myself. I decided that I'd rather live in the flat with Hermione. I've had Dobby and Winky living there, though, cleaning it in case I ever decided that I did want to live there."

"Are you sure it's okay to go now?" Ginny asked, making a mental note that Harry still didn't know about Dobby's following him to the manor.

"It'll be fine as long as you're with me."

"When did you get to be so charming?" Ginny teased.

"Number 11, Grimmauld Place," the taxi driver said, bringing the car to a stop.

"Thanks, mate," Harry said as he handed the driver a bunch of bills.

Ginny exited the cab and looked around. She didn't understand why she couldn't see Number 12. She knew she had been there before, and she had been told by the secret keeper where it was.

"I'm the secret keeper now," Harry explained, noting her look of confusion. "Hafan Dawel is located at Number 12, Grimmauld Place." Ginny looked at him curiously and he grinned. "It means quiet haven in Welsh."

"Oh." Ginny let out a sigh of relief as the house appeared before her. She headed across the lawn and for the front door. "You do have the key, don't you?"

"Of course," Harry replied, pulling out his wand. "Doesn't require anything but my wand." He quickly looked around to make sure no one was watching before placing the tip of his wand in a notch above the door knob. Ginny heard a soft click and Harry opened the door.

Ginny had not been expecting the complete change in the appearance of the old house. Before it had seemed old and dirty, but now it looked like a place someone actually called home. The walls were a warm crème color, and the picture of Mrs. Black was gone. She peered into the closest room as they walked down the hall and noticed it was void of furniture.

"We're redecorating a bit," Harry said. "If you wouldn't mind lighting the candles as we pass… I wouldn't want to get in trouble for doing magic." Ginny could hear the annoyance in Harry's voice, but she was proud of him for asking for help.

"Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby squeaked, appearing before them. "We did not know you'd be coming here today! Almost all of the furniture is gone and we don't have much food! Oh, Dobby is a bad house elf. The house isn't ready for the great Harry Potter!"

"Dobby, calm down, it's okay. You had no idea I was coming today. We'll be perfectly fine sitting on the floor and we don't need much food," Harry assured the frantic house elf. "Maybe if you could just fix a couple of sandwiches or something we'll relax in the sitting room."

"Dobby will make a fire right away!" he exclaimed before disappearing.

"How exactly did Dobby and Winky come into your possession?" Ginny asked with a chuckle.

"When Dobby heard I was leaving Hogwarts he asked if he could come with me. I told him that it was fine as long as he let me pay him," Harry replied with a shrug. "I just figured that someone would need to help me keep this old place up."

"Well, I'm glad you're not just letting it rot," Ginny said as she ran her hand along the bare wall. "It's like an empty canvas; it has so much potential…" She closed her eyes and could picture the house full of furniture and family. She felt the bad memories from the war trying to fight their way to the front of her mind, but she focused all of her energy on pushing them back. As she fought the battle within her mind she felt Harry wrap his arms around her waist and she sighed. Dreams of spending time with Harry alone in the house filled her mind and she was able to smile.

"Where'd you go?" Harry whispered in her ear.

"No where," she replied softly. She opened her eyes and turned around in his arms. "Let's go see what Dobby set up for us."

She led Harry into the sitting room where the fire was roaring and a picnic basket was sitting on a shag rug. The room was devoid of any furniture and there were candles lining the walls. Ginny let out a low whistle.

"Dobby sure knows how to do a lot with a little," she said in awe. "Very romantic."

"I told him what to do," Harry teased as he took a seat on the rug.

Ginny laughed and sat down beside him. "I'm sure." She opened the lid to the picnic basket and pulled out two sandwiches and two bottles of Butterbeer. She took a bite into the sandwich and realized exactly how hungry she was. She finished her sandwich in several bites, and noticed that Harry had already finished as well.

"I was hungrier than I thought," Harry said sheepishly.

"I guess that's what happens when you've been put through hundreds of tests in a day," Ginny said with a giggle. "I think you're their new favorite test subject."

"Well then, you must be number two on their list," Harry teased.

"I don't think so… I think you've got the first ten or so spots occupied. Famous Harry Potter and all that, you know." Harry scowled before grabbing her waist and tickling her. Ginny squealed and struggled to get out of his reach, but he held her firmly to the ground.

Before she realized what was happening he had stopped tickling her and had started kissing her. Ginny felt goose bumps cover her skin as she lost herself in Harry for the first time in what felt like weeks. Somewhere in the back of her mind it registered that they weren't supposed to be doing this, but with the way Harry's lips felt on her neck, she didn't care. She tangled her hands in Harry's hair and pulled him closer.

His hands traveled up her stomach, brushing underneath her shirt. They stopped hesitantly at her ribs, taking the time to memorize every inch of her trim stomach. She ran her hands from his hair down his back, and then back up his chest. As she brushed across his rib cage she couldn't help but notice that he winced in pain. She pulled away from him, fighting to catch her breath.

"Healers," she panted.

Harry collapsed on the ground beside her with a sigh. "The healers can sod off."

"You winced; I hurt you," Ginny said, rolling over on her side to look at him. "We weren't supposed to be doing that."

He rolled over on his side to mirror her position. "But I wanted to." He reached over and ran his hand along her cheek. "I've missed you."

Ginny couldn't help but laugh. "You've done nothing but spend time with me lately! How could you miss me?"

Letting out a long sigh, Harry rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. "Things have just been so tense lately. I miss just being with you. Even during the free time we got in Tibet we were followed by Aurors."

Ginny scooted over on the floor so she could wrap her arm across Harry's chest. "I know. When the World Cup is over things will start to go back to normal."

"We hope," Harry added reluctantly. "You know that this could all be over right now, don't you? All the person who is threatening us wants is me off the team, apparently. I have an out now."

"No!" Ginny exclaimed. "You've worked so hard! The team's worked so hard! If they clear you to play, you have to play."

"The odds are good that they won't clear me," Harry said resignedly. "If I can't even do this," he paused and pointed between them, "then I don't know how I'm going to play Quidditch. Besides, Caleb is a good Seeker."

"You still have time, and Caleb is rubbish compared to you."

Harry kissed the top of her head. "You're just saying that because I'm your boyfriend."

"Nope. In my completely unbiased opinion you are the best Seeker in the world," Ginny concluded firmly.

Harry laughed and Ginny could feel the vibrations in his chest. "Well then it's decided." He wrapped his arm around her possessively. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she replied softly. They laid in silence for several minutes. Ginny was soaking in the scent of Harry, trying to memorize everything about the moment in her mind. The next time her inner demons came after her, she wanted to have the perfect memory to counterbalance them. When she felt confident that the moment would never leave her mind, she decided that their time playing hooky was over.

"We need to go to the Ministry," she said sadly.

"Do we have to?" Harry whined.

Ginny chuckled. "Yes. They've probably already sent a search party out after us." She sat up and pulled herself from the floor. "Come on, lazy. Let's get this over with."

Harry stood up, stretching out his sore muscles. "Let me get the Floo powder."

"Should we tell Dobby we're leaving?"

"Right." Harry stepped out of the room and into the hall. "Dobby! Winky! We're leaving!"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Real mature, Harry," she said as Dobby appeared in the room.

"It worked, didn't it?" he smirked. "Thanks for the sandwiches, Dobby. We're heading to the Ministry, but we may be back sometime soon."

Dobby hopped around in an excited circle. "Dobby will start the preparations right away!"

"Don't go to any trouble, Dobby. We don't know whether or not we'll be back for sure yet."

"It is not a problem, sir. Dobby only wishes Harry Potter would come to his house more."

"Right. Well, bye, Dobby!" Harry walked over to the fireplace and pulled down the flower pot sitting on the mantle. "After you, Gin."

* * *

The next morning Ginny woke up with a sore body and an aching head. The bed she and Harry had slept on at the Ministry was comfortable enough, but she couldn't seem to relax while she knew they were being watched. Her headache had begun when they first arrived at the Ministry and proceeded to be yelled at for thirty minutes about their irresponsibility. The only good thing that had happened was she was still wearing all of her clothes when she woke up.

She glanced over at the mirror she knew was really glass, wondering who was watching them at the moment, and how shocked they'd be if she decided to snog Harry. The thought tempted her, just to take out some kind of retaliation on the situation she hated, but the reality of someone she knew watching her snog Harry was enough to push the thought out of her mind.

Rubbing Harry's back gently, Ginny leaned over to whisper in his ear. "It's time to get up, love."

Harry's eyes were still closed, but he shifted to move closer to her. "Am I still wearing all of my clothes?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," Ginny replied laughing.

"Are you?"

"It's safe, I promise." Harry's eyes cracked open and he smiled in relief as he saw her clothes. Ginny laughed again. "Did you think I'd lie to you?"

"Well, you can be quite convincing when you want something," Harry teased.

"We might as well go ahead and face our audience," Ginny sighed.

"If we must," Harry sighed dramatically.

They both got out of bed and put on their dressing gowns before walking to the door to the conference room. They walked through the door and found Minister Bones, Chloe, Tonks, and Healer Brown sitting around a long table.

"Minister! I didn't know you'd be here today," Harry said awkwardly.

Ginny had to fight a groan at the thought that the Minister had been watching them sleep. "Thank you all for wanting to help us, you just have to understand this situation is a bit awkward for us still."

"Of course, dear," Minister Bones replied smiling. "I can't say I'd switch places with you."

"Oh, Jacob would just die of embarrassment if it was us," Chloe added with a grin. "But I am glad to see that you're both doing better. That fall was nasty business for everyone involved."

"We're been trying to keep the details out of the press," Minister Bones explained. "We're having a hard time explaining to them why the box fell without letting them know that it was sabotaged."

"Do you have any idea who was behind it?" Harry asked.

"We're still working on it," Tonks spoke up. "We might have been able to fill you in last night if you two hadn't disappeared on us."

Harry rolled his eyes and Ginny took his hand to try and keep him calm. "We needed a break," he said firmly. "This has been hard on us."

"We understand," Minister Bones interrupted. "Just tell us next time."

"We will," Ginny replied automatically, not leaving Harry an opportunity to argue.

"Well, getting down to business," Healer Brown spoke up, "I'm afraid nothing out of the ordinary happened last night. There were no magical outbursts, no unusual magical readings, nothing."

"I think I might know why," Harry began awkwardly. "My magical outbursts are normally the result of me reacting to what I'm dreaming. Being with Ginny stopped my nightmares, and well, replaced them with dreams of more… pleasant things. Last night, I hardly slept well, much less relaxed enough to have a… pleasant… dream about Ginny."

Ginny knew she was blushing, and she couldn't make eye contact with anyone in the room. Silence filled the room as everyone tried to figure out how to handle the situation without embarrassing anyone further.

"Well, do you think another night in this situation would provide similar results?" Healer Brown asked.

"I don't think I'll ever be relaxed knowing people are watching me sleep," Harry replied honestly.

"So this is useless," Tonks concluded.

"It looks that way," Minister Bones said with a sigh. "We'll have to figure out a way to record the magical surges in the room without having anyone watching. It's just not a priority right now."

"So, are we free to go?" Harry asked hopefully.

"I need to have a final examination with you, but then you're free as far as I'm concerned," Healer Brown said.

"You're both free as far as I'm concerned," Minister Bones added. "I've got a meeting in about ten minutes, so if you'll all excuse me." Everyone stood up at the table as the Minister and Chloe left the room.

"Ginny, why don't we go for a walk while Harry gets checked out," Tonks suggested.

"Sure." Ginny leaned over and kissed Harry's cheek before leaving the room with Tonks. "Where do you want to go?"

"Why don't we venture down to your office?"

"Haven't been there in awhile," Ginny said with a chuckle. "How's Ginny doing in Tibet?"

"Your double loves being you. I think she has a crush on MJ. She's going to be right heart broken when you show back up."

"Just wait," Ginny said laughing, "It'll get out to Ron that I'm cheating on Harry with MJ!"

Tonks laughed. "It has been hard for her to keep up your personality around the team. Her time with them has definitely been limited because of that."

"Well, she better not get too comfortable being me. I happen to like my life most of the time and I'm not quite ready to part with it yet. How does Susan like her new assignment?"

"She's adjusting pretty well. We decided to keep her in Tibet with your double as she gets settled… Don't want to risk the real thing," Tonks said chuckling.

"How's Michael?" Ginny asked quietly. She was still feeling guilty that no one had remembered her body guard. She couldn't help but feel like his injuries were all her fault.

"He's still out," Tonks replied solemnly. "We think he must have gotten knocked out in the initial few seconds on the fall, otherwise he would have taken off the cloak or at the very least called for help."

Ginny was about to reply when she saw a familiar blonde walking towards them.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Draco asked, blocking their way down the narrow hall.

"We're the ones who work here, Malfoy," Ginny spat. "What are you doing here?"

"Business," he smirked. "I'm sure you'll find out in good time."

"I'll look forward to it," Ginny replied sarcastically. She was itching to pull out her wand and hex the slimy git, but she felt Tonks grab hold of her arm, almost as if she knew what she wanted to do.

"You should," Draco said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to attend with the Commissioner of the Professional Quidditch League."

As soon as he was out of their sight Ginny groaned. "I hate him!"

"Just don't let him get to you," Tonks said.

"Impossible! I'm worried about what he's up to with the Quidditch Commissioner. I don't like seeing him strut around the Ministry like he owns the place."

"The days of Malfoys controlling the Ministry are over," Tonks assured her.

"I just have a very bad feeling," Ginny sighed. She couldn't shake from her mind the smirk on Draco's face. It was like he knew something bad was going to happen to her. She had developed a slight case of paranoia lately, but she just had a feeling that she shouldn't dismiss Draco.

"Ginny!" She turned around and saw Harry running down the hall with a smile plastered on his face. She couldn't help but smile when she saw how happy he looked.

"What?" she asked when he reached them.

"I've been cleared to play!" he exclaimed happily. "Well, I have to hide out here for two more days, taking things easy, but after that I can play!"

"Brilliant!" Ginny said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'd kiss you if we weren't in public," she whispered in his ear.

"I know," he replied.

"Well, it sounds like a celebration is in order," Tonks declared. "How about a shopping trip?"

"Sounds good to me," Ginny said happily.

"Whatever you want to do is fine," Harry added.

"Then let me go make the arrangements!"

* * *

Ginny looked in the mirror and scrunched her face in disgust. She understood that she was using glamour charms for her own protection, but she didn't think it was necessary for Tonks to make her look as ugly as possible. Her hair was chin length and a very mousy brown. Her nose was long and pointed and her lips were thin. The only good thing was that her freckles were gone.

"Are you ready?" Harry asked, peering into the bathroom she was currently occupying.

"I don't think I can go out in public looking like this," Ginny groaned, frowning at her appearance.

"Why not?"

"Because I look hideous," she pouted.

"But you're beautiful to me as long as you're Ginny," Harry replied. "At least you get to use the charms. For some reason they think it'll be better now if people think I'm here and not in Tibet. You can't appear here because you still have a body double in Tibet."

"I know." Ginny sighed resignedly and walked out of the bathroom. "It'll just be a lot harder to shop knowing I look like this. I won't like anything that I try on."

"Is that all you want to do today, try on clothes? I had rather hoped we wouldn't spend all day clothes shopping."

"Well, no, but I just…"

"Don't worry about it, Gin," Harry interrupted her. "We don't want people to know we're together so we have to do this kind of stuff."

"You're right, I'm being silly," Ginny replied, feeling petty and childish. "Is Tonks ready to go?"

"Yep." Harry offered her his hand. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, I am." Ginny picked up her clock off the bed and took Harry's hand. "How are we getting to Diagon Alley?"

"Floo," Harry explained as they walked down the stairs of Grimmauld Place. The Ministry had decided that the former order headquarters would be the safest place for them to stay while Harry finished his recovery. They reached the bottom of the stairs and Tonks was waiting for them, looking like her Alexa Mallory persona.

"We've only got two hours at most before the Ministry wants us back here, so let's get this show on the road," Tonks said, ushering them to the fireplace. "I'll be right behind you."

An hour later, Ginny had forgotten all about her new appearance. She was really enjoying spending the day doing something normal with Harry and Tonks. They had browsed in Quality Quidditch Supplies, made a quick stop in Flourish and Blotts, and Ginny was now sitting by herself at a table outside of Florean's waiting on Harry to bring her an ice cream sundae. They'd luckily had brilliant weather, and if anyone had recognized Harry they'd been polite enough to leave him alone.

"Here you go," Harry said, setting a sundae in front of her and taking a seat.

Ginny picked up her spoon and took a bite of her ice cream. "Thanks. Where's Tonks?"

"She ran into a bloke she went to school with. She'll be out in a minute," Harry explained with his mouth full.

"Today's been good," Ginny commented as she abandoned her ice cream to watch Harry eat. He looked like a small child the way he devoured the food before him. Watching him enjoy himself was better than eating the ice cream in front her.

"What?" Harry asked self-consciously as he realized Ginny was watching him. "Have I got it on my face?"

Ginny grinned and leaned over so their faces were almost touching. "Yes, right here," she whispered as she kissed the corner of his mouth. "I got it, though." She pulled away and noticed that Harry's face was pink.

"Thanks," he said, a smile forming on his face. "I think you have some on your face, too."

"Oh really?"

"Yep," Harry said as he leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I got it though."

"Interesting since I've only taken about one bite," Ginny commented, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest.

"You must be a very messy eater then," Harry replied as he took another bite.

"Must be," Ginny said with a chuckle as she started eating her ice cream again.

"You two haven't been doing anything, have you?" Tonks asked as she sat down at the table.

"Not really. Why?" Harry asked, concern filling his face.

"I just spotted a photographer taking pictures of you," Tonks explained with a sigh.

Ginny's face paled. "Then he probably has pictures of us kissing."

"Well, expect to see your face in all the papers tomorrow, Harry. You're going to be making headlines again," Tonks replied.

Harry put down his spoon and pushed his ice cream away. "Well, I've just lost my appetite."

Ginny mimicked his actions. "Me too. Can we just go home? I don't want to think about photographers anymore."

"Yeah, that's fine," Tonks said, standing up. "We'll just walk back to the Leaky Cauldron and use the Floo there."

"I'm sorry about this," Harry whispered to Ginny as they started their walk.

"It's not your fault," Ginny replied.

"I know, but it's because of me. I know you didn't want to have to deal with things like this."

"You didn't either."

"True."

Ginny took his hand and leaned into him. "I'll put up with this stuff as long as I get to be with you. That's all that's important."

* * *

A/N Well, this chapter tried it's hardest to drive me insane, but it came out okay. I'm done with my exams now, and trying to catch up on the writing I couldn't do while studying. Thanks as always for your reviews, they mean the world to me! We're almost there! 


	31. Nerves

Flipping through a copy of the team's schedule, Ginny glanced up at the clock on the wall. She and Harry were back in Tibet, and while she was working, Harry was working out with the team. They were supposed to decide today whether Harry or Caleb would be playing in the next match. She hadn't been able to eat all day because her nerves were so bad.

Harry had been nervous as well, but almost more for what would happen if he made the team than for what would happen if he didn't. They had learned right before they left England that their next match was going to be against Bulgaria, meaning that if Harry played, he'd be playing against Victor Krum. Ginny knew that Caleb wouldn't stand a chance against Krum, but she was worried that Harry wouldn't either if he wasn't back to one hundred percent.

There was a loud crash behind her as Harry stumbled over her bed. Ginny couldn't tell from the look on his face whether he was happy or disappointed.

He let out a long sigh and sat down on the edge of her bed. "Well, I'm playing."

"That's… great?" Ginny asked, moving from the desk to beside him on her bed.

"I'm nervous," Harry explained. "And not just for me, but for you, too. I know that they think the_ Witch Weekly_ article took some of the attention away from you, but I'm scared that whoever it is that doesn't want me to play will still come after you."

Ginny let out a long sigh. The pictures of her out with Harry had been published in _Witch Weekly_, accompanied by a long article about their day together. The article had made a very simple, pleasant day sound like a torrid affair, going so far as to suggest a threesome with Tonks. It bothered Ginny that the article had been written by the same author as the last slanderous article on Harry. It was really starting to look like the person had a vendetta against him.

What bothered Ginny the most, though, were her brothers' reactions. They had all sent her owls, demanding that she leave Harry immediately. Even Charlie, who didn't recognize Tonks in the pictures, was threatening to hex Harry. Since she was in hiding, she sent them all very long letters, explaining that it was really her in the pictures, and demanding that they trust Harry more. It physically pained her to see Ron turn on Harry again so soon after they had made their first attempt to patch things up. She could only hope that they'd all apologize to Harry the next time they saw him.

"Don't worry about me," she said finally. "I'm under constant Auror supervision."

"That didn't help you last time," Harry argued.

"And they've tripled security at the stadium and around us since," Ginny reminded him. "You just need to focus on playing."

"I'd rather not," Harry said quietly.

Ginny poked him in the ribs. "Why?"

"Because I know that the press is going to bring up the Triwizard Tournament. I know the focus of the entire match will be on the rematch between Krum and me. If I don't get the Snitch, I'll be a failure who got lucky all those years ago."

Frowning, Ginny slipped and arm around his shoulders. "That's not true. Well, the stuff about the press probably is, but the rest of it isn't. You are not a failure. We probably would have lost the last match if it wasn't for you. Besides, you guys could still win even if you don't catch the Snitch… Remember the last World Cup?"

"Bulgaria's a lot better now," Harry sighed. "And we're worse without Dustin."

"But Jacob is playing the best Quidditch of his life, and Steven's not bad," Ginny argued. "But if your head isn't in the game, you won't be at your best and you'll just be giving the match to Krum."

"You're supposed to eat dinner with all of us tonight," Harry said.

Ginny rolled her eyes at the change of subject. "I know. A big team dinner before the match tomorrow… It sounds more like a last supper to me."

Harry's head snapped around and he glared at Ginny. "So you don't think we're going to win?"

"No," she replied tensely, "that'd be you who doesn't think you'll win. I was just talking about everyone's mood around here lately. You're all acting like you've already lost!"

"We're just being realistic," Harry fought back.

Ginny jumped off the bed and put her hands on her hips. "What happened to the team I worked with in England that was determined not to come home until they were the winners of the World Cup? You're faced with one tough opponent and you all just give up."

"We haven't given up!" Harry exclaimed, jumping up from the bed.

"Well, it sure sounds that way to me!"

"I'm going back to my room!" Harry yelled before turning around on his heel and heading for the door.

"Fine by me!"

Harry opened the door before slamming it shut and turned around to face Ginny. "Where's the invisibility cloak so I can get out of here?"

"In the closet," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "You remember the proper procedure for leaving my room, don't you?"

"Of course I do. I'm not stupid," Harry huffed as he pulled the invisibility cloak over his shoulders.

"No, but you might give up if it looked to be difficult," Ginny retorted.

Harry glared at her before turning around to face the door. He knocked lightly three times and the door opened.

"Everything alright?" Susan asked as she opened the door wide enough for Harry to sneak out.

"Brilliant," Ginny replied sarcastically.

"Well, I'm supposed to walk you to the dining room around six, so just come on out when you're ready," Susan said cheerfully before closing the door again.

"Arg!" Ginny cried as she kicked the desk. Her foot immediately began to throb in pain. "Bollocks!" She hopped towards the bed on her not sore foot and sat down. Slipping off her shoe, she began to massage her foot.

There was a knock on the door and Ginny distractedly called for whoever it was to come in, hoping it was Harry so she could yell at him for causing her to hurt her foot.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked, sounding highly amused.

"I kicked the desk," Ginny explained as she slipped her shoe back on and stood up. "What are you doing here?"

"Why did you kick the desk?" Ron countered.

Ginny glared at him. "Because it made me angry."

Ron held his hands in front of him defensively. "It was just a question."

"One I'd rather not answer," she retorted. "Did you need something?"

Ron bit the corner of his lip and ran his hands through his hair. "I wanted to talk to you."

"About?"

"About the lunch I just had."

"Who'd you eat lunch with?" Ginny prompted as she walked back over to her desk and began to flip through the team's schedule.

"Padma, Hermione, and Krum."

Ginny dropped the papers and spun around to face Ron. "How in Merlin's name did that happen?"

"Well, I was eating breakfast with Padma this morning after she arrived for the match at the restaurant down the street and Krum walked in. He remembered me, and came over to talk. While we were talking, Hermione walked in, and Krum called her over. It was bloody awkward trying to make conversation… I've only just started speaking to Hermione again, and you know I never liked Krum."

"You liked him before he showed any interest in Hermione," Ginny smirked.

Ron glared at her. "As I was saying, Krum got the bright idea that we should all eat lunch together. I was going to say no, but Padma kicked me under the table and accepted for both of us. Apparently, it was the perfect opportunity to ask him for an interview."

"So how was lunch?"

"Awkward, uncomfortable, and long."

Ginny was torn between trying to be patient for her brother and wanting to satisfy her curiosity. "What happened?"

"Well, you know I'm really happy with Padma, right? I mean, she's brilliant, and we always have a good time together," Ron began slowly.

Ginny fought to keep the smile off her face. She just knew that Ron was going to admit that he never stopped loving Hermione, and that he had broken things off with Padma.

"Padma is starting to become friends with Hermione, and I mean, they're really getting along. They both have brilliant minds, but it's bloody uncomfortable for me. Then we had this lunch with Krum, and he was flirting with Hermione again. I'm worried that he's just using her to try and find out stuff about Harry."

Ginny frowned. "Victor is a good bloke, Ron. He helped us during the war, and he wouldn't take advantage of his friendship with Hermione to try and cheat or hurt Harry. Maybe it just bothered you that he was flirting with Hermione…"

"Actually, I didn't even notice it. It was all the girly talk between Padma and Hermione after Krum left. Padma was so happy for Hermione that Krum was still interested after all these years, and Hermione was blushing and denying it. It was really annoying listening to them go back and forth for, well I don't actually know how long it was but it felt like hours."

Trying to fight her disappointment, Ginny frowned. "What exactly do you need from me?"

"I want to know if there's some way to keep my girlfriend and my ex girlfriend from becoming best friends. I'm all for them getting along, because I am trying to be Hermione's friend again, but I don't want to have to listen to them chat about blokes all day."

"Have you thought about talking to Padma about it?" Ginny asked.

"I was actually thinking about talking to Hermione about it."

"I wouldn't if I were you," Ginny replied. "Your friendship with Hermione is on shaky ground at best, and this could look like you were trying to push her away again. Although, talking to Padma could make it look like you still have feelings for Hermione and you aren't comfortable being around her."

"I don't have feelings for Hermione!" Ron exclaimed quickly.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Defensive much?"

Ron began to pace the room. "I just don't want you jumping to the wrong conclusions about this. Every time I look at Hermione I'm reminded of how much she hurt me, of how much it killed me when she broke up with me. It is so hard for me to try and be her friend again, but I'm trying. Merlin, Ginny, I'm trying so hard! When we almost died I couldn't stand the thought of leaving things the way they were, but actually doing it is hard."

"I'm proud of you, Ron," Ginny said quietly. "You're finally trying."

"I'm trying to make up for what a jerk I've been. I'm not going to apologize for all of my actions over the last year, because I'm not the only one at fault, but I'm going to try and make things right," he said.

"You have no idea how happy that makes me."

"I do, because I've seen first hand how much Harry means to you," Ron replied.

"It's not just that," Ginny insisted, pulling Ron over to her bed and sitting him down. "You've been miserable for the last year and it was tearing me up inside to see you like that. Dad was miserable, Charlie was miserable, I was miserable… It wasn't good. I feel like we're finally starting to live again and, despite my current annoyance with Harry, we're all happy."

"Why are you annoyed with Harry?" Ron asked curiously.

Ginny rolled her eyes and leaned back onto the bed. "He's given up at the mere thought of playing against Victor. He thinks that the press will be all over it, and doesn't think he stands a chance."

"He's just as good as Krum," Ron replied.

Ginny laughed bitterly. "Try telling him that. He's just tense and nervous and he was taking it out on me. I'm sure things will be better before we go to bed tonight… they always are." Ron stared at Ginny in shock and she realized her mistake. "I mean, neither one of us can stay mad at the other for much longer than a day. We love each other too much to let something this silly come between us," she added quickly.

"Ginny, he's not pressuring you or anything, is he?" Ron asked tensely.

"No! Harry would never do anything like that!" she insisted.

"You're still young, and you don't need to rush into anything."

"Like you and Padma?" Ginny countered, her anger level rising at Ron's hypocrisy.

"What we do is our own business. You shouldn't go around making assumptions!"

Ginny laughed cynically. "Trust me, I'm not making any assumptions. First, you not coming home at night--"

"That doesn't mean anything," Ron broke in.

"True, but that coupled with a neat little charm that the twins put on the family clock doesn't leave much to the imagination."

Ron's face paled. "When?"

"The night of my birthday, actually. It was a nice little present to come home to. You should just be grateful that Harry took the charm off the clock before Dad saw it."

"Why was Harry in our house the night of your birthday?" Ron asked quickly.

Ginny sighed. "He was actually at my party under his invisibility cloak. No one but Luna knew, and she only know because of her mirror. He's the one responsible for turning the twins into birds… some kind of potion he put in their drinks if I'm not mistaken."

"Merlin, Ginny. You should have just told me. I wouldn't have invited all of those blokes to your party if I had known," Ron said, shaking his head.

"Yes you would have, but you would have been doing it intentionally, trying to keep me away from Harry, instead of unintentionally."

"No, I wouldn't," Ron insisted.

"Yes, you would. If we had told you, we still wouldn't have been able to explain anything about Hermione, so you'd still think Harry was guilty," Ginny argued.

"Maybe… But we've strayed from the point. The point is you shouldn't do anything with Harry you're not ready for."

"I love him, Ron. Can you at least say that about Padma?"

"I'm not sure…" Ron said slowly. "I know I don't feel the same way about Padma as I did Hermione, but I don't think Padma could ever hurt me the same way Hermione did. Padma makes me feel good about myself; she makes me enjoy life again. When I'm with her, I actually care about the future again."

"So why does that make it okay for you to do with Padma what you've determined I shouldn't do with Harry?" Ginny asked.

"I just can't trust him again, yet," Ron sighed.

"And he can't trust you again yet, either," Ginny replied. "I had a hard enough time breaking down his walls so that he'd trust me again."

There was a knock on the door, and Ginny left Ron sitting on the bed while she got up to answer it. "Hermione! What are you doing here?"

"Well, I wanted to see if you were interested in eating dinner with Lily and me," Hermione said, shifting the baby's weight on her hip.

"Actually, I have to eat with the team, but you're more than welcome to come in for a bit, if you'd like."

"Thanks," Hermione said as she walked into the room. "Would you like to hold-- Ron!"

"Hello, Hermione," Ron said awkwardly.

Ginny noticed the frozen look on Hermione's face, and took the baby from her arms. "I assume that you're not bringing Lily to the match tomorrow."

Hermione slowly tore her eyes off of Ron and looked at Ginny. "No, she's staying with a babysitter. It's hard for me to leave her still, but I know it'll be for the best."

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Ginny said, bouncing Lily on her hip. "I bet you miss traveling. Harry told me you used to travel all the time for your work in the Department of Mysteries."

"Well, it was fun getting to travel around the world. Remind me to tell you about my trip to the Bermuda Triangle. But it's nothing like being a mum. I'm overwhelmed, overworked, and I hardly get any sleep, but I'm happy. I'm happy that I can give someone a home. It frustrates me to no end that I can't solve all of my problems by researching and studying, but I'm getting by." At some point during her speech, Hermione had turned her focus solely on Ron. Ginny couldn't help but notice that their eyes were locked, and the tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Lily coughed, and Hermione seemed to remember that she and Ron weren't the only two people in the room. "I'm sorry again for leaning so much on Harry when I first got Lily. You were right to be upset with me, and I'm sorry for interrupting your birthday."

Ginny waved her free hand in the air dismissively as she kissed the top of Lily's head. "It's all in the past now. You've been figuring things out on your own."

"It was just a hard adjustment for me, realizing that I was wrong about something," Hermione said quietly.

"What were you wrong about?" Ron spoke up.

Ginny's eyes widened and she knew that this conversation was quickly about to become one of the most important conversations of their lives. She knew that her presence in the room was forgotten as Ron and Hermione stared at each other.

"I…" Hermione began but was cut off by a knock on the door.

No one moved from their place as the knocking continued. Ginny had a feeling that if she answered the door Ron and Hermione would never say the things that needed to be said.

"Ginny? Is Ron with you?" Padma's voice came through the closed door.

Ron jumped up from the bed like it was on fire and hurried to the door. "I'm right here," he said as he opened it.

"I was getting worried when you were late," Padma said, looking flushed.

"I'm sorry, I meant to tell you I'm eating dinner with the team in a little bit. I'd say you could come, but it's supposed to be strictly the team and the people who have worked with the team," Ron explained. "I just lost track of time while talking with Ginny."

"Oh… Well, that's fine. I'll just find something on my own. You'll come by after dinner though, right?" Padma asked.

"Of course. I can't stay late because tomorrow will be an early day, but I'll definitely come by," Ron assured her.

"Good." Padma peered into the room and saw Ginny holding Lily. "Is Hermione in there with you two?"

"Yes," Hermione spoke up, moving into Padma's line of vision. "I stopped by to see if Ginny wanted to eat dinner with Lily and me, but I ran into the same problem as you."

"Well then, we'll just eat dinner together," Padma said smiling. "I'd love to spend some more time with Lily. We did bond in the box, you know."

"Well," Hermione said, chewing on the corner of her lip.

"I'm sure Hermione wants to call it an early night," Ron spoke up quickly.

"Nonsense. She already said she wanted to eat, so we'll just go down the street and grab something quick," Padma said. She walked over to Ginny and took Lily from her. "Come on, let's go ahead and go. Maybe we'll run into Victor and he can join us."

"Maybe," Hermione said as she chased Padma out of the room. "I'll see you around, Ginny, Ron."

"Bye," Ginny called as the door shut.

"Arg!" Ron exclaimed. "Do you see what I mean? I know I wouldn't want to get all chummy with Padma's first love, I can't understand why she wants to become best friends with mine."

"It is odd," Ginny mused.

"I can understand wanting to be on good terms, since we're trying to work on our friendship, but this is ridiculous!"

"Maybe she's trying to stake her claim," Ginny suggested. "You know, make sure that Hermione knows you're not available."

"But Padma's not like that," Ron insisted. "She knows that Hermione and I ended on terrible terms, and she knows that Hermione has no interest in being with me anymore. Hermione went to great lengths to prove that."

"You're probably right," Ginny said with a shrug. "We're going to be late for dinner."

"Well, let's get going then," Ron said as he headed for the door. "I hope this doesn't take too long. I really do want to call it an early night, and I don't want to get to Padma's room too late."

"Just tell her you need to get to bed if it gets too late," Ginny said as she entered the hall. "Hello, Susan."

"Just pretend I'm not here," Susan said with a smile as she began to follow them.

"Is that what'd you'd say to Harry if he showed up at your door tonight?" Ron teased. "Just tell him that you need to call it an early night?"

"Actually, I would tell him that I needed to go to bed," Ginny replied, omitting the fact that Harry would be going to bed with her.

"I'm sure," Ron replied sarcastically. "Do you know where we're going?"

Ginny nodded. "Dinner will be in the conference room on this floor, just around this corner."

"Good. I'm getting hungry."

"When are you not?" Ginny laughed. "Here we are."

"I'll be waiting right outside the door," Susan spoke up. "There will be enough Aurors inside."

"Thanks, Susan," Ginny said as she and Ron entered the empty conference room. "It feels weird to have Susan around instead of Michael."

"I still feel terrible about what happened to him," Ron said. "Where do you want to sit?"

"At the end of the table is fine," Ginny replied. "I'm actually surprised no one is here yet."

"Maybe practice ran late," Ron suggested.

Ginny shook her head and took her seat. "Harry came by my room after practice and that was before you came by."

"Well then, they must just all be running late," Ron said with a shrug.

"Ginny! I'm glad you made it tonight," Tank said as he walked into the room with MJ, Jacob, and three Aurors Ginny didn't recognize.

"Wouldn't have let anything keep me away," Ginny replied smiling.

"Well, I know the last time we spoke you weren't sure where you'd be today," Tank said.

"Oh," Ginny said, feeling a little flustered. She hadn't even thought about the fact that she'd have to react to whatever her double had said. "You know how crazy my schedule can be."

"Well, we've missed you being around," Jacob added. "Things haven't been the same since you stopped working with us. No offense, Ron."

"None taken," Ron replied. "Where is everyone?"

"Dunno," MJ said. "I thought we were running late."

"Apparently so is everyone else," Ginny said.

The door opened again and Harry walked in with Perry and Mason. His eyes locked with Ginny's and they didn't break their gaze as he took his place at the other side of the table. He looked like a wreck. Ginny wanted nothing more than to get up, throw her arms around him, and hold him until he thought that everything would be okay. She didn't care how annoyed she was with him, he was hurting and she wanted to make it better.

"Ginny?" Ron asked quietly.

She snapped back into the present and realized that the rest of the team had arrived. Jeff had sat down across from her, and Wesley was sitting on her other side. She smiled embarrassedly and nodded at the new additions to the table.

"Sorry, I zoned out for a minute there," she said sheepishly. "There's so much on my mind with the match tomorrow."

"Are you glad to be back?" Jeff asked.

Ginny froze and everyone stared at Jeff. "Um," she muttered, chewing on her lip nervously.

"I mean, back on the job," Jeff corrected himself quickly. "I know they were keeping you pretty much locked up for awhile."

"Definitely," she replied with a sigh. "I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do when this is all over."

"I'm sure Mr. Perry would recommend you for a job in my department," Ron said.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Ginny said.

"Why not?" Wesley asked. "I know I'd recommend you."

"We just had a slight disagreement, that's all," she explained.

"You never told me that," Ron said. "Is that why I pretty much took over your job?"

"It's a long story," Ginny said, tugging on a strand of her hair nervously. "I'd rather not spend dinner getting into it."

"That's fine," Jeff said, but Ginny noticed he was looking at her strangely. "I enjoyed getting to spend the extra time with Ron."

"You did pretty much fall off the face of the earth after you made the team, mate," Ron said with a chuckle. "I was lucky if I could get you to answer my letters."

"What can I say?" Jeff teased. "My time was in high demand."

Wesley rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah. Just wait until you have a wife and kids to demand your time."

"Is your dad going to be here tomorrow?" Ron asked.

Jeff shook his head. "He's in Germany now. I can't remember the last time he caught one of my matches."

"Odd that the Ministry keeps him out of the country since they're so short on Aurors right now," Ginny mused. "I mean, half of the ones here are still trainees."

"I guess they just have to spread around the experience," Jeff replied with a shrug. "He prefers working out of the country, and somebody's got to do it."

"I wouldn't mind doing some traveling for work," Ron said.

"What do you call this?" Ginny teased.

"Well, this isn't really working here," Ron argued. "This is so stressful, and there's really no difference in working here than at home."

"You think this is stressful?" Wesley asked. "Try actually being the one playing! There's so much pressure on us to win. Everyone's watching our every move!"

"Well, some of us more than others," Jeff added. "You've been more in the spotlight ever since your great hit at the end of the Japan match."

"True, but Harry always gets the worst of it," Wesley agreed. "Although Tank has been getting a lot of attention lately due to his impending retirement. And MJ is just the type of player the press loves to interview because he's so animated."

"I think Jacob would quit if he got anymore attention than he already does," Ginny chuckled. "I hate to say it, but Dustin's name has been all over the press lately as well. I wish that they'd be reporting a change in his status, but no luck with that so far."

Everyone sitting around her grew quiet as they all thought about their fallen teammate. Ginny picked up the glass of water she hadn't noticed was in front of her and took a small sip.

"Excuse me," Mr. Perry spoke up from the other end of the table. The room quieted and everyone turned their attention to him. He began to make a speech, but Ginny found her mind wondering. Something about the conversation they'd just had felt wrong to her, but she couldn't figure out what it was. She caught Harry's eyes again across the table, and she had to fight the urge again to go comfort him. He gave her a small smile and she returned it with a sigh of relief. She had a feeling that he would come to her room tonight and everything would be okay.

* * *

Ginny sat on the edge of her bed, anxiously awaiting Harry's arrival. Dinner had been long and boring, and she was ready to go to bed. Despite her brief moment with Harry during the dinner, she was still worried that when he arrived they would start fighting again. She also wanted to talk to him about her conversations at dinner and her conversation with Ron. She still couldn't figure out why she was bothered by the dinner conversations, and she thought Harry might pick up on something that she hadn't.

There was a knock on the door and Susan stuck her head inside. "Are you decent?"

"Yes," Ginny replied, standing up.

Susan opened the door wider and smiled. "I'll see you in the morning then. I'm just about to get off my shift."

As soon as the door closed the invisibility cloak fell to Harry's feet and he was revealed standing near the door. "Hey," he said quietly.

"Hey."

"I'm sorry for being a jerk earlier. I was nervous and I was taking it out on you."

"Was?" Ginny asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay, I am nervous. I'm scared. I'm a big chicken. Are you happy now?" Harry asked tensely.

"No," she replied, shaking her head. She walked towards him and slipped her arms around his waist. "Haven't you learned yet that I'm happy when you're happy?"

"It's easy to forget," Harry replied sheepishly, pulling her close. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"You looked so nice tonight at dinner that I just wanted to get up, pull you out of the room and have my way with you," Harry whispered in her ear.

"It's a shame you didn't," she replied coyly. "I'm much too tired now, and you need to get your rest before the big match tomorrow."

"Shame then," Harry sighed.

Ginny grinned at him. "Just get ready for bed." Harry waggled his eyebrows and Ginny laughed. "For sleep, my love, for sleep."

* * *

A/N I'm sorry this is late, but I didn't have internet access yesterday. I'm actually on my lunch break right now for my new job. Thank you as always for your reviews… they really do make my day! 


	32. The Third Match

Ginny woke up the next morning as the sun coming in through her window spread across her face. She turned her head away from the window and buried it in Harry's bare shoulder. He tightened his grip around her waist and she settled against his side. It was only after she felt Harry's hand slide down to her bum that she realized they were both completely starkers. Instead of her normal embarrassment, she realized how comfortable it felt to be in Harry's arms.

"Harry," she whispered into his ear.

"Hmm," he replied sleepily.

"It's time to get up, love."

"It's too early."

Feeling mischievous, Ginny reached down and gave his bum a slight squeeze. Harry's eyes shot open as he realized he was feeling bare skin.

"Oh Merlin, Ginny, I'm so sorry. I must have done it again," Harry exclaimed nervously. "Please don't be angry."

"If you hadn't noticed, Harry," she replied coyly, "anger was not the first emotion I felt this morning."

Harry's jaw dropped and Ginny figured the only appropriate way to close his mouth was with a kiss.

When she pulled away Harry began to speak quickly. "Are you sure this is okay? I mean, it's fine with me, but what brought on the sudden change?"

"It just felt right to wake up like this today," she replied before kissing him again.

"But why today?" Harry asked anxiously. "Are you trying to convince me of something, or did you just change your mind on how you felt on this topic? Because you know we can't continue with this, like this, without certain ramifications."

"Harry," Ginny said calmly. "You're rambling. And you've not taken your eyes off my face this entire time."

"I'm sorry. I just have so much stuff hanging over my head with the match today, and I still feel like there's so much pressure on my show down with Krum." Harry paused and grinned. "And if you want me to look other places, I will. I was just trying to be a gentleman."

"You need to stop worrying," Ginny frowned, ignoring his later comments. "Whatever happens today will be fine as long as you do your best."

Harry sighed and rolled over on his back, staring at the ceiling. "I know people don't know what happened last time, but what if something gets out? What if people start to bring up Cedric?"

"What if a meteor falls to earth and kills us all?" Ginny interrupted. "You can only do what's best for you, Harry. There's no way you can be prepared for everything, so you should just worry about the things you can actually control."

"That's easier to say than to do," he sighed. "I couldn't even enjoy a day in Diagon Alley with you without having the press hound us."

"Well," Ginny began, closing the distance between them. "I do know one thing you can control."

Harry turned his head so they were nose to nose. "What?" he whispered.

"What we do right here, right now."

"Well, when you put it that way," he replied as he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned in to kiss her. Ginny quickly discovered that kissing Harry while nude was a completely different experience than kissing him while clothed Every touch made her hair stand on end, and she thought that she might die from happiness.

Harry shifted over so he was on his side again and Ginny had to fight from gasping as she felt him, all of him, pressed against her body. She had convinced herself after their first nude experience that she wasn't ready, that she wanted to wait for the perfect moment, but now that it was increasingly obvious that that was the path they were heading down, she realized that it would be perfect as long as she was with Harry.

There were three loud bangs on the door, and Ginny pulled away from Harry as quickly as she could. "This is your thirty minute warning before you have to be at the team breakfast," Susan called through the door.

"Damn," Harry muttered.

"You said it," Ginny agreed, fighting to catch her breath. "We can't do this now."

"I know," he agreed.

"We'd be too rushed," she continued.

"Gin, I know," Harry said. "I'm just going to go jump in the shower before I sneak back to my room."

Ginny nodded and watched as Harry walked from the bed to the bathroom in all of his naked glory. She couldn't help staring, it was really the first time she had seen him. She'd felt his body against hers, but there had never been a time when he had been so exposed to her.

"Enjoying the view?" Harry chuckled.

"Very much so," Ginny admitted. Harry laughed and turned to walk into the bathroom, but she called out for him to stop. Taking a deep breath and gathering all of her courage, Ginny sat up in bed and let the sheet fall to her waist, leaving her chest exposed. Harry's eye's widened and she knew that he was now staring as well.

"After you win the match today," she said coyly, "we can continue this."

Harry gulped and nodded his head slightly. He walked mutely into the bathroom and a few seconds later Ginny heard the shower running. She fell back onto the bed and pondered what she'd just promised to Harry. Her only real motivation had been to keep his mind off of the match and the press, but she knew in her heart that she was ready to take that step with him.

She rolled out of bed and started to pick out what robes she wanted to wear to the match. She was glad that she had been able to do something to ease Harry's nerves, but now she had to try and deal with her own. She would never admit it to Harry, but she was scared to death over this match. She couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

* * *

Ginny chewed on her bottom lip nervously as she sat on the top level of stands with her father. After the box fell at the last match, the Ministry had decided to spread all of the family members throughout the stadium in hopes of avoiding another large attack. Ginny and her father were some of the few not actually in a box at all, but they were still surrounded by inconspicuously dressed Aurors.

"Everything will be fine, Ginny," Arthur spoke up, taking her hand in his.

"How can you be so sure?" Ginny asked, turning in her seat to look at him. "Dustin was poisoned after the first match, the box was sabotaged during the second, so who knows what's going to happen at the third."

"Well, they've added more precautions after every match. At this point it would take a real inside leak to get to the team or one of us again," her father assured her.

Ginny sighed. "But an inside leak is what we've been afraid of all along. Don't you remember what Tonks said about the original letters?"

"I do," he replied quietly. "But I have to have some kind of faith that everything will be okay. Otherwise, all I'd do is remember how bad things were at the end of the war and I'd never have any reason to smile."

"Well, I don't want that to happen," Ginny said, forcing herself to smile. "But I can't help just waiting for all hell to break loose. It feels like all of the signs are there for something really big to happen, but I've somehow failed to put them all together. I've been so distracted with trying to keep Harry straight, and trying to help Ron figure out what's going on in his life that I haven't had time to really think about it. I just know I'm missing something."

Arthur patted her shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sure you'll figure it out. Did we sit down too late to see the warm-ups?"

Ginny nodded. "Tonks said she didn't want us out here any earlier than necessary. She wouldn't even tell me where Ron or anyone else was sitting in case someone was listening in on our conversation. I'm considering myself lucky not be to sitting by myself."

"Oh look, they're starting the introductions!"

Ginny turned her attention away from her father and towards the pitch. She tuned out the introductions as her eyes followed Harry through the sky. He looked brilliant with his blue uniform flapping in the wind as he flew. There was something about watching Harry fly that was simply magical to her. It was one of the few times he looked completely happy and at ease. There were no facades, no pretenses just Harry being Harry. She only wished he could feel like that all the time. He didn't look like he had a care in the world, but Ginny knew she was worrying enough for both of them.

"He'll be fine," her father spoke up again, as if he were reading her thoughts. Arthur put his arm around Ginny's shoulders and pulled her close. "He doesn't even seem to be looking at Krum."

Ginny sighed and dropped her head onto her father's shoulder, careful to keep her gaze on the match. She found that she was ignoring everything that was happening on the pitch but Harry. "It took me awhile to get Harry's mind off of it this morning." Ginny paused, trying not to blush as she thought of exactly how she had tried to take Harry's mind off of things. "I had to convince Harry that all he needed to be concerned with was finding the Snitch. Honestly, he's been in a right state since the box fell. I think we're lucky to still be talking to each other."

"Well, if you two are serious--"

"We are," Ginny interrupted.

"Then you're going to have to learn to work through the good times and the bad," Arthur finished.

Ginny winced as a Bludger cam dangerously close to hitting Harry. "I know."

"Jacob's playing very well again," her father commented a few moments later. "He's really frustrating Bulgaria's Keeper."

"Are we winning?" Ginny asked.

"Where is my daughter?" Arthur asked in mock horror. "Where is my little girl who loves watching Quidditch?"

"She'll be back after her boyfriend makes it back to the ground in one piece," Ginny replied, sitting up straight. "Neither Harry or Victor has seen the Snitch yet, and the Bludgers are crazy today."

"Well, that's what the Beaters are there for," Arthur pointed out cheerfully, but Ginny could tell that her nerves were starting to rub off on him. She loved her father for trying to be strong for her when she needed him to be.

"We do have good Beaters," Ginny added, trying her hardest to match her father's tone.

"Wesley has had a wonderful tournament so far."

"He has," she agreed, still never taking her eyes off of Harry.

"I'm not going to be able to distract you, am I?" Arthur asked with a sigh.

Ginny shook her head and continued to follow Harry's path through the sky. She held her breath as she watched him dive for the ground, only to pull up inches from the ground empty handed.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take," she admitted.

"Well, England's got almost a hundred point lead," Arthur informed her. "At least the Chasers are playing better this week."

"They're more comfortable with each other now," she replied. "I think last time they had all been holding out hope that Dustin would show back up at the last minute. This time, they've accepted Steven as a part of the team."

"Well, whatever it was, it's working."

"Mason is a good coach," Ginny replied. "He's just a very foul man. I don't know what I did to upset him, but he's been on my case since day one."

"Actually, I'm afraid that's my fault," Arthur said guiltily.

For the first time since the match had started Ginny took her eyes off of Harry. "What?"

"Well, he was never very fond of me, and he was probably taking it out on you."

"How do you know him?" Ginny asked.

"Actually, he knew your mother. He was interested in her, but she chose to go out with me instead."

"But he's so old!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Not as old as he looks, but he was a year or two older than me," her father replied.

"But then why isn't he rude to Ron as well?" Ginny asked.

"I don't think he even realized Ron was my son until he got you the job. Unfortunately, you were the one he had to face on a daily basis, so I think you got the worst of it. Plus, you do look a great deal like your mother."

"Wow, that explains a lot," Ginny mused. "I didn't know you had to fight for Mum's attention."

"It wasn't much of a fight. Your mum and I only had eyes for each other," Arthur chuckled.

There was a collective scream through the crowd and Ginny felt her heart drop. She quickly turned her attention back to the match and scanned the sky for Harry. It didn't take her long to see him flying towards the ground with Victor right on his tail. It appeared that he had actually seen the Snitch this time.

"Faster, Harry," she urged him. She wanted nothing more than for the match to be over so she could wrap Harry in her arms and have confirmation that he was safe and in one piece.

"Oh Merlin!" her father exclaimed.

Ginny turned her head slightly and gasped. There was a Bludger heading straight for Harry, and it didn't look like he saw it. If he didn't change his path there was going to be a terrible collision.

"Harry!" Ginny screamed. Almost like the whole thing was happening in slow motion, the Bludger inched closer towards Harry. When he was extending his hand to make his final reach for the Snitch, the Bludger crashed into the side of his neck. As Harry rolled off the side of his broom and started falling limply towards the ground, Victor flew ahead and caught the Snitch.

But Ginny wasn't paying attention to the match anymore. All she could do was watch as Harry's body fell closer to the ground. It appeared that someone had slowed his fall, but his body still hit the ground at a rate that was too fast to be safe. She felt her father's arms wrap around her shoulders and pull her close, and she barely registered the tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't pull her gaze off of Harry's limp body. She blinked twice as Harry disappeared from her view.

"Come on, let's go," her father said, trying to pull her out of the stands.

"Where'd he go?" she whispered, her gaze still on the pitch, trying to find Harry's body.

"Privacy charm, just like when the box fell," her father explained patiently. "If he's still on the ground, he has healers with him now. You aren't any good to him here."

Ginny let her father lead her out of the stadium but she wasn't aware of anything going on around her. Her mind was reaching out for Harry and her heart was breaking. She vaguely registered Susan appearing by her side and grabbing her arm. With her father's hand on her back and her hand in Susan's she was pulled down the narrow path towards the team's locker room.

It felt like they were moving in slow motion as they approached the door to the locker room. Ginny could hear Susan and her father speaking to her, but their words were slurred to her ears. With every step her heart starting beating louder in her ears, drowning out all of the noise around her. She had the image of Harry plummeting to the ground playing over and over again through her mind, but it happening in slow motion and there was no color to the memory. That was how Ginny felt life without Harry would be: colorless and dull.

The door to the locker room swung open and Ginny was ushered inside. As she was led to a chair, the sound of the door being sealed broke through all of the other noise in the room. She suddenly felt trapped, like they were trying to keep her in instead of everyone else out.

"Ginny!" Susan was standing almost a foot in front of Ginny's face, and she had the feeling that she'd been calling her for the past few minutes.

"Where's Harry?" Ginny asked, her voice cracking as she tried to bring the room back into focus.

"They have him in the medical center at the stadium," Susan explained.

"Where?"

"It's a disclosed location from almost everyone," Susan said nervously. "They didn't want anyone to be able to find it if there was another attack."

"Well, you bloody well better disclose it to me!" Ginny snapped. "I'm not a threat and there wasn't an attack! Harry is hurt and I want to be with him."

"I'm sorry, but taking you there isn't my decision to make," Susan replied.

"Ginny, maybe you should calm down," her father spoke up.

"No! Harry is hurt and he needs me right now," Ginny argued.

"Ginny, I promise you that I would take you to Harry if I knew where he was," Susan sighed. "But I don't, so I can't. All I know is that I was given instructions to get you here and make sure the location was safe. They're taking the team members to different locations around the stadium so there is no way to get to them all at once."

"I don't understand," Arthur said. "He got hit by a Bludger; that's a part of Quidditch. Why are they taking all of the extra precautions?"

"After the incident with the box, we're not taking any chances. You never know how someone from the outside might have interfered with the match somehow," Susan explained.

"Can you at least tell me how he is," Ginny asked shakily.

"I wish I knew," Susan admitted.

There was a soft pop and Ginny turned her head to see Tonks standing in the room. She jumped up from her chair and hurried over to the Auror.

"How is he?"

"He's still out," Tonks said, sounding choked up. "His body's defenses were lower than they should have been due to the fall last week. The Bludger hit him on his neck and at the base of his head. The healers are assuming he has a concussion, and they know for sure that his neck was broken. They're trying to heal him the best they can, but no matter what they do he won't wake up."

Ginny felt the tears start to fall down her cheeks and she collapsed on to her knees. The conversation continued around her but everything started to blur again. She tried to wipe the tears from her face, but she was distracted by something moving on her wrist. The only thing she could see was the bracelet on her wrist; the bracelet that connected her to Harry. Not even taking the time to consider the repercussions, she reached for the familiar rose engraving and placed her thumb over it.

Ginny landed on the ground in a completely white room. She saw posts of a bed and the bottoms of several lime green robes. She pulled herself off the floor and gasped. There was a slight ringing in her ears that sounded vaguely like someone yelling, but the only thing in Ginny's mind was how awful Harry looked in his bed. He was pale and his robes were stained with blood.

Someone grabbed her by the arm and began to pull her away from Harry. Ginny began to fight with the person, and she was having success until her other arm was taken. She was pulled out of the room and shoved onto the floor. She looked up at the two healers and scowled.

"What are you doing here?" one of them asked. "You aren't allowed to be here."

"I don't think she hears us," the other one said, looking concerned.

"I hear you," Ginny whispered. "You have to let me back inside," she pleaded with them. "He needs me."

"What he needs is proper medical attention," the first healer snapped. "So unless you are a trained healer your place is in the hall."

Ginny jumped to her feet and tried to fight her way back into the room. She struggled with the healer until she was pushed back to the ground. "My place is with Harry!"

"Right now your place is where I tell you it is," the first healer yelled. Before Ginny could react the healer had pulled out his wand and bound Ginny's arms and legs. The more she struggled to get free the tighter the bindings became. "If you really want to help him you'll stay out of our way and let us do our jobs," he spat before returning to Harry's room, leaving Ginny alone in the hall.

Ginny curled her body into the fetal position and began to sob on the floor. Since she saw Harry fall, things had become fuzzy and the world felt surreal, but now that she had seen Harry and how bad things were, the world was clear again. The world was clear, but glum. If Harry didn't live through this, Ginny didn't know what she would do.

"Ginny! How could you disappear on us like that? And why are you on the floor? Are those bindings?" Tonks asked, kneeling down beside Ginny while freeing her wrists and legs.

"I had to see him," she sobbed. Tonks wrapped her arms around Ginny's shoulders and let her cry on her shoulder. "He looked so terrible, and the healers were so mean. They wouldn't let me stay with him."

"You have to let them work," Tonks soothed her. "Harry is in very critical condition right now."

"He has to be okay," Ginny whispered, her body shaking. As her body began to shake she kept chanting 'he has to be okay' over and over again.

When her tears finally subsided, Tonks helped her stand up from the ground. "Let's go into the next room so we can talk."

Ginny nodded slightly and followed Tonks into the room beside Harry's. She sat down at the small table in the middle of the room while Tonks fixed her a cup of tea. Tonks placed the cup in front of her, but Ginny only dropped her head on the table and sighed.

"How did this happen?"

"It was a poorly aimed shot," Tonks replied simply, sitting down across from her.

"I would think Bulgaria would be plenty happy with the aim of the shot," Ginny said tensely.

"Ginny," Tonks said slowly, "the Bludger wasn't from one of Bulgaria's Beaters… It was Jeff. He was aiming for Krum, but they were so close together…"

Ginny's head shot up and she stared at Tonks. "What?"

Tonks shook her head sadly. "He didn't even realize it had been his hit at first, the game was moving at such a fast pace. It wasn't until after we found someone who had record the match on ominoculars that we knew for sure what had happened."

It was if Ginny had been looking at the world through fog and it had suddenly been lifted. "Are you sure it was an accident?" she whispered, almost afraid that saying the words would make them true.

"Ginny, what are you talking about?"

"Jeff… Last night at dinner we were talking about the press… He hasn't gotten any press the entire time… Harry's threats were to keep him out of the press…"

"You're not making any sense!"

"I don't think I can really explain it, but it seems so clear to me now. I think Jeff hit Harry on purpose," Ginny said slowly, running through all of the thoughts crossing her mind. Something in her mind was insisting that Jeff was the one to blame for all of her problems, but the logical part of her brain kept insisting that Jeff had been their friend.

"Ginny?" Tonks asked hesitantly.

"What do you think was the main thing the person who was threatening Harry wanted?" Ginny asked slowly, trying to put a logical order to her thoughts.

"For Harry to quit or be kicked off the team," Tonks replied automatically.

"Why?"

"Well, based on the threat before the reporter came I would guess that they didn't like the amount of attention that was focused on Harry."

"And who's gotten the least amount of press on the entire team?" Ginny asked shakily.

"Jacob… but that's because he tried his hardest to stay out of the public eye," Tonks said thoughtfully. "After Jacob, though, I'd have to say Jeff."

"We've known all along that it had to be an insider," Ginny added quickly. "I think Jeff has to be the one threatening us."

"But isn't he good friends with Ron?" Tonks asked.

"Well," Ginny said slowly. "I know they were very close during the tryouts and before they announced the team, but based on something said last night I think Jeff practically started ignoring him after he made the team."

"So do you think he was trying to get close to Ron to help his chances of making the team?" Tonks asked incredulously.

"If he's been the one threatening us and if he hit Harry on purpose, I wouldn't put it past him."

"But how would he have rigged the box? And why? Hurting his teammate's family members doesn't do anything to help him gain recognition," Tonks pointed out.

"But it does scare Harry into quitting," Ginny replied. "Harry getting hurt would have only been an added bonus."

"But he's had a constant Auror guard just like the rest of you," Tonks argued. "And doesn't this sound pretty extreme just for a little extra press?"

"I don't know… But I just have this gut feeling that he's responsible," Ginny said shaking her head. "Merlin! I think he knew I was in England!"

"How would he know?"

"I wish I knew," Ginny sighed. "Actually, I wish I knew how Harry was doing more than anything."

"The healers will come and tell us as soon as they know anything for sure," Tonks assured her. "Right now we just have to wait."

"Can't you go arrest Jeff? Or at least question him," Ginny said.

Tonks shook her head. "We've already gotten his statement, and the only other thing we have to go on is your gut feeling. Plus, since he's had a constant Auror guard it's unlikely anyone will really think he's guilty of anything other than bad aim."

"There's something else strange about him," Ginny remembered. "He says his father is an Auror that works out of the country."

"There are very few British Aurors out of the country right now that aren't here," Tonks interrupted.

"My point exactly. Can you check out his father and see if that brings anything up? According to Jeff, he's in Germany right now."

"I can go enquire about an Auror with the last name Collins in Germany, but I don't see how that'll help anything," Tonks replied.

"Just check… It's something to do to pass the time," Ginny sighed.

"Okay, well, I'm going to leave you in here, then. I'll see what I can do about getting someone down here with you. Promise me you won't go barging into Harry's room again without permission."

"I promise," Ginny said resignedly. Tonks nodded and left the small room. Ginny took a small sip of the tea Tonks had prepared for her and tried to think of anything else that would incriminate Jeff. He'd always been so nice to her; he'd even taken up for her before she and Harry and settled their differences. In fact, one of the only reasons she'd given Harry a chance to explain himself was because of the things Jeff had told her about him. It seemed rather impossible to think that the nice bloke she'd been working with had been plotting to destroy his teammate's life, all for the sake of a little publicity. If it had been Jeff that was threatening Harry, something had made him step up the intensity of his attacks after the first match.

"I should yell at you for disappearing like that," her father said as he walked into the room with Hermione. Hermione's face was stained with tear tracks and her father looked like he'd had years taken off his life.

"Sorry," Ginny said quietly, still trying to grasp the concept that Jeff was the guilty party.

"Tonks filled us in on what you think," Hermione said, sitting down in the chair next to Ginny. "Do you really believe Jeff is capable of hurting so many people over a little publicity?"

"I don't know, but it's the only thing that makes any sense to me," Ginny sighed. "Have they heard anything else about Harry?"

"Tonks was going to go check with the healers before she came back in," Arthur replied.

"I wish she'd hurry. I feel like I've been in this room clueless for hours," Ginny moaned.

"I'm just glad you seem to be doing better," her father replied. "You really scared me before."

"I've been distracting myself by thinking about Jeff," Ginny admitted. "I had to do something to keep from going crazy."

The door to the room opened and Tonks walked in followed by Healer Brown.

"Healer Brown!" Ginny exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm one of the few healers cleared to work with Harry," the woman replied. "I follow him just about everywhere. Didn't you see me when you burst into his room?"

"No," Ginny admitted. "I was a bit preoccupied going out of my mind with worry. Please tell me you have good news."

"I'm afraid it isn't that simple," Healer Brown sighed. "It appears that Harry's body shut down in order to protect itself. We believe that he used all of his magical energy to try and stop his fall, and then when he couldn't stop his body just shut down."

"What does that mean?" Ginny asked impatiently.

"It means that we've healed Harry's body the best we can, but we can't do anything to make him wake up," the healer replied. "And if he does wake up, he'll be serving months of bed rest."

"If?" Ginny whispered.

"I'm afraid I can't make you any promises," Healer Brown said.

Ginny felt the tears start falling down her cheeks again. She felt someone hug her from behind, but she couldn't stop crying. There was a chance that Harry would never wake up. She dropped her head on the table as the world around her became fuzzy.

"So what is your plan?" Hermione asked, her voice shaking.

"We're going to take him back to England."

"Does he have to stay in the hospital?" Tonks asked.

"No, as long as he has someone there to care of him," Healer Brown replied.

"I can take time off work and then Lily and I can move back into our old flat," Hermione said quickly.

"I can stay with him during my time off," Tonks added. "Actually, the Ministry will probably want an Auror around anyway."

"No," Ginny said softly, picked her head up from the table.

"What?" Tonks asked.

"I said no," Ginny replied firmly. "I'm going to be the one that takes care of him."

"You don't have to do that," Hermione interrupted.

"I want to!" Ginny snapped. "I love him, I don't have a job, and I'd just spend all the time I wasn't with him going crazy with worry. You took care of him before when he needed someone, and I'm going to do it now. You've both questioned whether or not I'd be there for Harry when he needed me, and I'll be damned if you take away my opportunity to care for him."

Hermione and Tonks both stared at Ginny like she was insane. Ginny stood up from her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, daring them to argue with her.

"I'm sure that we'll all work something out," Arthur spoke up, putting his hand on Ginny's shoulder. Ginny knew that he was trying to help her keep her emotions in check, but she felt that if Hermione or Tonks was going to try and keep her away from Harry, she wouldn't hesitate to hex them.

"Well, I think I should be getting back to Harry," Healer Brown said, obviously uncomfortable in the situation.

"Tell him I love him," Ginny called as the healer left the room.

"On a completely different note," Tonks said awkwardly, chewing on the corner of her lip, "you were right about Jeff's dad, Ginny. There is no Auror working for the British Ministry that has the last name Collins."

"What does that mean?" Hermione asked quickly.

"It means that Jeff's a liar," Ginny answered angrily. "Can you go arrest him now?"

Tonks shook her head. "The only thing we have on him now is a hunch and the fact that he lied to his teammates about his family history. That's not nearly enough grounds to bring him in, especially considering the scandal it would cause. Minister Bones is very fair, and unfortunately, bringing Jeff in based on the little we know isn't fair."

"So, he's going to get away with it?" Ginny spat. "He's going to get away with almost killing Harry and Dustin, not to mention all of the people that were in the box?"

"The only thing we can do right now is keep looking. The less he thinks we suspect him the more likely he is to slip up," Tonks sighed.

"So we wait," Ginny said.

"We wait and watch," Tonks corrected. "If he's guilty like we think he is, he'll slip up… eventually."

The door to the room opened again and Healer Brown walked back in.

"Is something wrong with Harry?" Ginny asked quickly.

"No, but we would like you to come stay with him incase he starts to have more nightmares," the healer replied. "Will you come?"

"Of course," Ginny answered instantly.

"If you'd like to go back to your room and get some things that would be fine," Healer Brown said as she ushered Ginny out of the room.

Ginny shook her head. "No, just take me to Harry." Ginny walked back into Harry's room and immediately crawled into bed beside him. She placed her hand over his heart and took comfort in its steady heartbeat. "I'm here, Harry," she whispered. "I'm here for you. Just come back to me. You have to come back to me." Ginny wiped the tears from her cheek before resting her head on Harry's chest. "I love you, and I'll never leave you."

* * *

A/N Well, that is the end of Seeking the Truth. I do still have the epilogue to write, and it will be posted as soon as I can get it written and it can go through my beta. Just remember the key word here is sequel. That's important right now. Also, check out the revised version if you get the chance, there are a lot more clues and hints in there! Thanks for your support throughout this story. I never thought I'd write something that got 1000 reviews! Check my site this summer for updates on the sequel, the prequel series I'm writing, and the revisions. Thanks for all your support. 


	33. Epilogue

"Good afternoon, Miss Weasley."

"For the hundredth time, Robert, just call me Ginny," she chuckled.

"Old habits are hard to break," Robert replied. "Can I help you with those bags?"

"Thanks," Ginny replied, giving the Auror one of the heavy bags of groceries she was holding. She made her way into the kitchen of number 12 and started sorting through the bags, putting things away.

Robert leaned against the counter and watched Ginny work. "You weren't gone for very long," he commented.

"It's hard to leave him at all, much less for very long," she replied. "It's not easy lying to my brothers about living here and pretending to work a job that doesn't exist, but it's even harder to be away from Harry. If he woke up and I wasn't here…"

"I understand," Robert assured her. "If it was my wife in there I wouldn't leave either. But, still, it's been a month."

"And I'll keep doing it for a year if I have to," Ginny said with a shrug. "I love him."

"I know you do," Robert replied quietly. "Why don't you let me finish putting this stuff away and you can go on up to him. I don't mind; my shift ends in a little while anyway."

"Thanks, Robert." Ginny smiled at the Auror before heading out of the kitchen and up the stairs to Harry's bedroom. She opened the door and forced a smile on her face so her voice would be cheerful when she began to talk to Harry. There was sun shining into the room, but Harry still looked pale and deathly.

"Hello, love." Ginny walked over to his bed and began to straighten his bedding. "Susan was here this morning, but Robert is on duty downstairs now. He's a nice bloke; you'd like him. He's married and has two little girls. He's shown me pictures… the girls are adorable. Tonks is taking the late shift tonight. She'd be here more, but she promised Charlie when he proposed that she'd spend more time with him and less time working. I told you Tonks refuses to set a date until you wake up, right? So that's just one more reason you have to come back to us. You wouldn't be much of a friend if you kept Tonks from getting married."

Ginny picked up the vase with flowers on the dresser and walked into the bathroom so she could change the water. She walked back into the bedroom and set the vase on the bedside table.

"I'm going to leave these over here this time. They smell brilliant." Ginny sat down on the edge of Harry's bed and gently took his hand. "You know you can come back to me anytime now. If there's something you're waiting on, something you want me to do, you just have to let me know and I'll do it… anything."

Ginny stood up and began to pace the room. She was trying so hard to be strong for Harry, but she would give anything to have him come back to her. The healers had at one point been afraid that Harry's magical abilities would be completely diminished, but not too long after the accident he had started to banish their clothes at night again. That action gave Ginny the hope she needed to make it through the days. She had to believe that he was still thinking of her and wanting her.

She had even taken to whispering to Harry what he had to wake up to. She figured that if he was dreaming about her, she might as well continue to remind him that she was willing. Ginny would do anything if she thought it would bring Harry back to her.

There was a gentle knock on the door and Ginny turned around.

"Hey, Ginny."

"Hello, Tonks," she replied. "Did Robert leave?"

Tonks nodded. "I wanted to get here early to talk to you about some things. I finally found some more time to go digging through Jeff's history today."

"Not in front of Harry," Ginny said quickly. "We'll go downstairs to talk." They walked out of the room and headed down the stairs. Ginny walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table across from Tonks. "So, have you found anything new?"

"Well, over the last month he's been laying fairly low except for his trade to the Magpies, which is of course suspicious in itself," Tonks began.

"Definitely. If he didn't like the publicity Harry got, why would he want to be on his team?"

"Right, it takes away from our case. And you know that his school records have been almost impossible to get into," Tonks added. "I've been racking my brain trying to find an inside connection in France. If he had gone to school in England our job would have been much simpler."

"But he didn't, so what can we do about it?" Ginny asked.

"Well, we've run an extensive search on British wizarding families with the last name of Collins. There were a few families that came up, but the most interesting was an old pure-blood family that's been dwindling in numbers lately. There's only been one male born in the last two generations."

"And I'm guessing it wasn't Jeff."

"It wasn't."

"So what's so interesting about that family?" Ginny asked, glancing at the clock on the wall and starting to wish she was with Harry.

"They disowned a daughter when she became pregnant. They tried very hard to keep everything private, but somehow the fact that she was pregnant leaked out. Rumor has it the father of her baby wasn't a pure-blood, and that's why her family was so upset."

"Do you know if she had a boy?" Ginny asked eagerly.

Tonks shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. Like I said, they tried very hard to keep the whole affair out of the public eye, so there have been very few details available. But, from what I can tell, the child would be about Jeff's age."

"Where's the woman now?"

"Died from complications in childbirth," Tonks replied smugly.

"Do you think Jeff would have told the truth about his mother dying when he was a baby? Maybe he just took her name, and his father really is an Auror," Ginny said excitedly.

"There's a very good possibility that that's what happened, but if Jeff was telling the truth it makes him look even more innocent."

"So what do we do now?" Ginny asked.

"Keep digging. If Jeff is guilty, we'll find something to convict him," Tonks replied with a shrug.

"I hate waiting almost as much as I hate not knowing," Ginny sighed.

"I know, I know. But there's nothing more we can do. The hit looked like an accident, and there's nothing linking Jeff to the threats. I'm doing all of this research into his past in my free time."

"Bet Charlie hates that," Ginny snickered.

"He understands," Tonks chuckled. "And he understands why I don't want to get married until Harry can be there."

"He's a good man."

"The best," Tonks agreed. "Why don't you go upstairs and try and get that man of yours to wake up."

Ginny forced a smile. "I'll be down sometime later to eat something. There's plenty of food in the kitchen. I went shopping today. Help yourself."

"Thanks."

Ginny stood up from the table and headed back upstairs to Harry's room. She closed the blinds on his windows and crawled into bed beside him. She put her arm across his chest and closed her eyes.

"I love you Harry, but you're breaking my heart. You have to wake up. There is no medical reason why you can't open your eyes. We go through this every night. You have to open those beautiful eyes of yours. You still have so much to live for, but I'm not sure I have much left without you." She buried her head in his shoulder as she started to cry.

"Ginny…" His voice was low and hoarse, but it was his voice.

She picked her head up and watched as his eyes slowly blinked open. "Harry?" she asked hesitantly, almost afraid to believe it was real.

"Love… you…"

His voice sounded weak, but he was able to keep his eyes open to meet her gaze.

A smile broke across Ginny's face and she leaned down to kiss Harry's forehead.

"Tonks!" she yelled. "He's awake!"

* * *

A/N Well, that's the end of part one. It's been a long ride, but I reached the end. This project definitely grew from what my original intentions for it were. (Which is one of the reasons why I'm doing the revisions.) Look for some one-shots from me that take place in this universe throughout the summer, and for the revisions. Other than that, I'm taking the summer off. I almost burned out writing this, so I need the time if I want to make the sequel the best I possibly can. My goal is to have the revised version finished before I start posting the sequel, but I'm not sure how long that will take. My back up goal is to be very close to having about ten chapters finished before I start posting the sequel. There will be updates on my livejournal, though.

Thank you to all of my loyal reviewers! I don't know if I could have continued to make myself write during some of my low points without you. So I hope you enjoy the bits of work I do this summer, and I look forward to hearing from all of you again with the sequel!

ETA I forgot to tell you that the tentative title for part two is Chasing the Dream!


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